ply his pursuit, as was his custom, forthwith arose and taking with him the Daughter of the Deep led her to his house, and on entering the door cried aloud to his wife, “This day hath been a lucky for my fishing craft:  during all these years it never befel me to happen upon a Mermaid save on this best-omened of all the days,” adding, “Where is thy son, to whom Allah hath sent this Daughter of the Daughters of the Main; and hath made her his portion and vouchsafed her to his service? for ’tis my design to marry them.”  Replied the woman, “He hath taken the beasts and hath fared forth to pasture it and plough therewith; but right soon will he return.[FN#264] And whilst they were thus conversing the youth came forward, and the Wazir on sighting him groaned and cried, Well-away for me! this very night I shall become a bride for this blamed lad[FN#265] to sleep withal.  And if I say to them, ’What intent have ye?  Ye are in meanness and misery[FN#266] while I am Wazir to the Caliph;’ they will never believe me for that I have become a woman, and all thereto appertaining now belongeth to me.  Alack and alas for that I did with mine own self; indeed what business had I with such diversion?” Hereupon the fisherman called out, “O my son, up with thee and straightway take this Mermaid and marry her and abate her pucelage and be blessed with her and enjoy thy joy with her during all the days of thy life-tide:  doubtless, O my child, thou art in all boon fortune, seeing that what good befel thee never betided any before thee nor will become the lot of one after thee.”  So the youth arose and for his delight hardly believing in his conquest, married her and lay with her and did away her maidenhead and on that very night she conceived by him.  After nine months she bare him issue and the couple ceased not to be after this fashion till she had become a mother of seven.  But the Wazir, of his stress and excess of the trouble and the travail he endured, said to himself, “How long shall last this toil and torment wherewith I am liver-smitten and that too by mine own consent?  So e’en will I arise and hie me to this sea and hurl me thereinto and whatso shall become of me let it be:  haply I may find rest from these torments into which I have fallen.”  And forthright he arose and sought the shore and did as he had devised, when a wave enveloped him and cast him deep into the depths and he was like to choke, when suddenly his head protruded from the chauldron and he was seated as before he had ducked it.  Hereupon he saw the Caliph sitting in state with the Sage by his side and all the Lords of the land and the Notables of the commons awaiting the end of his adventure.  So he gazed at them and showed a smiling face[FN#267] and laughed aloud when the Prince of True Believers asked him saying, “What hast thou seen, O Wazir?” So he repeated to the Sovran all he had sighted and everything that had come down upon his head, presently adding, “O Caliph of the Age and the sum and