The smoke ascended to the clouds, and extending itself along the sea and upon the shore formed a great mist, which we may well imagine filled the fisherman with astonishment.  When the smoke was all out of the vessel, it re-united and became a solid body, of which was formed a genie twice as high as the greatest of giants.  At the sight of a monster of such an unwieldy bulk, the fisherman would fain have fled, but was so frightened, that he could not move.

“Solomon,” cried the genie immediately, “Solomon, the great prophet, pardon, pardon; I will never more oppose your will, I will obey all your commands.”

When the fisherman heard these words of the genie, he recovered his courage, and said to him, “Thou proud spirit, what is it you say?  It is above eighteen hundred years since the prophet Solomon died, and we are now at the end of time.  Tell me your history, and how you came to be shut up in this vessel.”

The genie turning to the fisherman, with a fierce look, said.  “Thou must speak to me with more respect; thou art a presumptuous fellow to call me a proud spirit.”  “Very well,” replied the fisherman, “shall I speak to you more civilly, and call you the owl of good luck?” “I say,” answered the genie, “speak to me more respectfully, or I will kill thee.”  “Ah!” replied the fisherman, “why would you kill me?  Did I not just now set you at liberty, and have you already forgotten my services?” “Yes, I remember it,” said the genie, “but that shall not save thy life:  I have only one favour to grant thee.”  “And what is that?” asked the fisherman.  “It is,” answered the genie, “to give thee thy choice, in what manner thou wouldst have me put thee to death.”  “But wherein have I offended you?” demanded the fisherman.  “Is that your reward for the service I have rendered you?” “I cannot treat thee otherwise,” said the genie; “and that thou mayest know the reason, hearken to my story.”

“I am one of those rebellious spirits that opposed the will of heaven; nearly all the other genies owned Solomon, the great prophet, and yielded to his authority.  Sabhir and I were the only two that would never be guilty of a mean submission:  and to avenge himself, that great monarch sent Asaph, the son of Barakhia, his chief minister, to apprehend me.  That was accordingly done.  Asaph seized my person, and brought me by force before his master’s throne.

“Solomon, the son of David, commanded me to acknowledge his power, and to submit to his commands:  I bravely refused, and told him, I would rather expose myself to his resentment, than swear fealty as he required.  To punish me, he shut me up in this copper vessel; and that I might not break my prison, he himself stamps upon this leaden cover, his seal with the great name of God engraver upon it.  He then gave the vessel to one of the genies who had submitted, with orders to throw me into the sea, which to my sorrow were executed.