Accordingly the fisherman went away by night, and, coming to the pond, threw in his nets betimes next morning, took four such fishes as the former, and brought them to the vizier at the hour appointed.  The minister took them himself, carried them to the kitchen, and shutting himself up all alone with the cook-maid, she gutted them, and put them on the fire, as she had done the four others the day before; when they were fried on the one side, and she had turned them upon the other, the kitchen-wall opened, and the same lady came in with the rod in her hand, struck one of the fishes, spoke to it as before, and all four gave her the same answer.  But, sir, says Scheherazade, day appears, which obliges me to break off.  What I have told you is indeed singular, but if I be alive to-morrow, I will tell you other things which are yet better worth your hearing.  Schahriar, conceiving that the sequel must be very curious, resolved to hear her next night.

The Twentieth Night.

Next morning the sultan prevented Dinarzade, and says to Scheherazade, Madam, I pray you make an end of the story of the fisherman; I am impatient to hear it.  Upon which the sultaness continued it thus: 

Sir, after the four fishes had answered the young lady, she overturned the frying-pan with her rod, and retired into the same place of the wall from whence she came out.  The grand vizier being witness to what passed, This is too surprising and extraordinary, says he, to be concealed from the sultan; I will inform him of this prodigy; which he did accordingly, and gave him a faithful account of all that had happened.

The sultan, being much surprised, was mighty impatient to see this himself.  To this end, he sent immediately for the fisherman, and says to him, Friend, cannot you bring me four more such fishes?  The fisherman replied, If your majesty will be pleased to allow me three days time, I will do it.  Having obtained this time, he went to the pond immediately, and, at the first throwing in of his net, he took four such fishes, and brought them presently to the sultan, who was the more rejoiced at it, as he did not expect them so soon, and ordered him other four hundred pieces of gold.  As soon as the sultan had the fish, he ordered them to be carried into the closet, with all that was necessary for frying them; and having shut himself up there with his vizier, that minister gutted them, put them in the pan upon the fire, and when they were fried on one side, turned them upon the other; then the wall of the closet opened; but, instead of the young lady, there came out a black, in the habit of a slave, and of a gigantic stature, with a great green baton in his hand.  He advanced towards the pan, and touching one of the fishes with his baton, says to it with a terrible voice, “Fish, art thou in thy duty?” At these words, the fishes raised up their heads, and answered, “Yes, yes, we are:  if you reckon, we reckon; if you pay your debts, we pay ours; if you fly, we overcome, and are content.”