IX NUIT
by Unknown · from Les mille et une nuits - Tome premier
Adapted Version
Once there was a fisherman. He was very poor. He worked hard every day. His first net catch was bad. He fixed his broken nets. He threw them into the sea again. He hoped for many fish.
The Fisherman pulled the nets. They felt heavy. He thought, "Many fish!" But it was not fish. It was only a big basket. It had stones and mud. The Fisherman was very sad. He felt unhappy.
He cleaned his nets. He threw them a third time. He pulled them back. The nets were heavy again. But it was not fish. It was only rocks and shells. There was also bad trash. The Fisherman was very, very sad. He almost gave up.
The sun came up. He prayed to God. He said, "Please help me. I need fish. This is my last try. Please make the sea good for me."
The Fisherman threw his nets. This was the fourth time. He pulled them very hard. They were very heavy. He saw no fish. But he found a pot. It was a yellow copper pot. It was closed and sealed. It felt very heavy.
The Fisherman was happy. This pot was good. He shook the pot. He wanted to hear inside. But he heard nothing. He looked at the seal. He thought, "This is special."
He took his knife. He opened the pot. It was a little hard. He tipped the pot. Nothing came out. He was surprised. He felt sad.
Then, thick smoke came out. It came from the pot. The smoke was very big. It pushed him back. He took steps back. He was scared.
The smoke went up high. It spread over the sea. Then the smoke changed. It became a big body. It was a giant. It was a Big Genie. It was very, very tall.
The Big Genie was huge. The Fisherman saw it. He was very scared. He wanted to run away. But he could not move. His legs would not work. He just stood there.
The Big Genie spoke. Its voice was loud. It said big, loud words. It spoke to a great king. This king lived long ago. The Big Genie said, "I am sorry!" It said, "I will obey you!" The Fisherman was still very scared. He could not move.
Original Story
IX NUIT.
«Ma chère soeur, s'écria Dinarzade, le lendemain à l'heure ordinaire, je vous supplie en attendant le jour, qui paraîtra bientôt, de me raconter la suite du conte du pêcheur. Je meurs d'envie de l'entendre. - Je vais vous donner cette satisfaction,» répondit la sultane. En même temps elle demanda la permission au sultan, et lorsqu'elle l'eut obtenue, elle reprit en ces termes le conte du pêcheur:
Sire, quand le pêcheur affligé d'avoir fait une si mauvaise pêche, eut raccommodé ses filets, que la carcasse de l'âne avait rompus en plusieurs endroits, il les jeta une seconde fois. En les tirant, il sentit encore beaucoup de résistance, ce qui lui fit croire qu'ils étaient remplis de poissons; mais il n'y trouva qu'un grand panier plein de gravier et de fange. Il en fut dans une extrême affliction. «Ô fortune! s'écria-t-il d'une voix pitoyable, cesse d'être en colère contre moi, et ne persécute point un malheureux qui te prie de l'épargner! Je suis parti de ma maison pour venir ici chercher ma vie, et tu m'annonces ma mort. Je n'ai pas d'autre métier que celui-ci pour subsister, et malgré tous les soins que j'y apporte, je puis à peine fournir aux plus pressants besoins de ma famille. Mais j'ai tort de me plaindre de toi, tu prends plaisir à maltraiter les honnêtes gens, et à laisser de grands hommes dans l'obscurité, tandis que tu favorises les méchants, et que tu élèves ceux qui n'ont aucune vertu qui les rende recommandables.»
En achevant ces plaintes, il jeta brusquement le panier, et après avoir bien lavé ses filets que la fange avait gâtés, il les jeta pour la troisième fois. Mais il n'amena que des pierres, des coquilles et de l'ordure. On ne saurait expliquer quel fut son désespoir: peu s'en fallut qu'il ne perdît l'esprit. Cependant, comme le jour commençait à paraître, il n'oublia pas de faire sa prière en bon musulman[8], ensuite il ajouta celle-ci: «Seigneur, vous savez que je ne jette mes filets que quatre fois chaque jour. Je les ai déjà jetés trois fois sans avoir tiré le moindre fruit de mon travail. Il ne m'en reste plus qu'une; je vous supplie de me rendre la mer favorable, comme «vous l'avez rendue à Moise[9].»
Le pêcheur, ayant fini cette prière, jeta ses filets pour la quatrième fois. Quand il jugea qu'il devait y avoir du poisson, il les tira comme auparavant avec assez de peine. Il n'y en avait pas pourtant; mais il y trouva un vase de cuivre jaune, qui, à sa pesanteur, lui parut plein de quelque chose; et il remarqua qu'il était fermé et scellé de plomb, avec l'empreinte d'un sceau. Cela le réjouit: «Je le vendrai au fondeur, disait-il, et de l'argent que j'en ferai, j'en achèterai une mesure de blé.»
Il examina le vase de tous côtés, il le secoua pour voir si ce qui était dedans ne ferait pas de bruit. Il n'entendit rien, et cette circonstance, avec l'empreinte du sceau sur le couvercle de plomb, lui fit penser qu'il devait être rempli de quelque chose de précieux. Pour s'en éclaircir, il prit son couteau, et, avec un peu de peine, il l'ouvrit. Il en pencha aussitôt l'ouverture contre terre, mais il n'en sortit rien, ce qui le surprit extrêmement. Il le posa devant lui; et pendant qu'il le considérait attentivement, il en sortit une fumée fort épaisse qui l'obligea de reculer deux ou trois pas en arrière.
Cette fumée s'éleva jusqu'aux nues et s'étendant sur la mer et sur le rivage, forma un gros brouillard. Spectacle qui causa, comme on peut se l'imaginer, un étonnement extraordinaire au pêcheur. Lorsque la fumée fut toute hors du vase, elle se réunit et devint un corps solide, dont il se forma un génie deux fois aussi haut que le plus grand de tous les géants. À l'aspect d'un monstre d'une grandeur si démesurée, le pêcheur voulut prendre la fuite; mais il se trouva si troublé et si effrayé, qu'il ne put marcher.
«Salomon[10], s'écria d'abord le génie, Salomon, grand prophète de
Dieu, pardon, pardon, jamais je ne m'opposerai à vos volontés.
J'obéirai à tous vos commandements…» Scheherazade, apercevant le
jour, interrompit là son conte.
Dinarzade prit alors la parole: «Ma soeur, dit-elle, on ne peut mieux tenir sa promesse que vous tenez la vôtre. Ce conte est assurément plus surprenant que les autres. - Ma soeur, répondit la sultane, vous entendrez des choses qui vous causeront encore plus d'admiration, si le sultan, mon seigneur, me permet de vous les raconter.» Schahriar avait trop d'envie d'entendre le reste de l'histoire du pêcheur, pour vouloir se priver de ce plaisir. Il remit donc encore au lendemain la mort de la sultane.
Story DNA
Plot Summary
A poor fisherman, after three unsuccessful casts, makes a desperate prayer before his final attempt. He pulls up a heavy, sealed copper vase, hoping for treasure. Upon opening it, a thick smoke emerges, transforming into a colossal genie. The genie, terrifying the fisherman, immediately cries out to King Solomon, begging for pardon and promising obedience, leaving the story on a dramatic cliffhanger.
Themes
Emotional Arc
suffering to surprise
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The story is part of 'One Thousand and One Nights,' a collection of Middle Eastern and South Asian stories and folk tales compiled during the Islamic Golden Age. The reference to Solomon (Suleiman) is significant as he is a prophet revered in Islam, known for his wisdom and power over jinn.
Plot Beats (13)
- Dinarzade asks Scheherazade to continue the fisherman's tale.
- The fisherman, after a bad first cast, repairs his nets and casts them a second time.
- He pulls up a basket of gravel and mud, expressing extreme affliction and complaining about his misfortune.
- He cleans his nets and casts them for a third time, only to retrieve stones, shells, and refuse, driving him to despair.
- As dawn breaks, he performs his Muslim prayer and then a specific prayer to God for a favorable sea for his final cast.
- He casts his nets for the fourth and final time, pulling up a heavy, sealed yellow copper vase.
- He is initially pleased, thinking he can sell the vase for wheat, and examines it for clues about its contents.
- He opens the vase with his knife, expecting treasure, but nothing comes out.
- Suddenly, a thick smoke emerges from the vase, forcing him to step back.
- The smoke rises, spreads, and then coalesces into a solid body, forming a giant genie.
- The fisherman is terrified and tries to flee but is paralyzed by fear.
- The genie immediately cries out to King Solomon, begging for pardon and promising obedience.
- Scheherazade stops her story as day breaks, leaving Dinarzade and the Sultan eager for the continuation.
Characters
Dinarzade
Slender build, likely of Middle Eastern descent with warm olive skin. Her exact height is not specified, but she is presented as a delicate figure.
Attire: Richly embroidered silk robes in vibrant colors like sapphire blue or emerald green, possibly a loose-fitting caftan or a fitted bodice with a flowing skirt, adorned with gold thread and delicate beadwork. She would wear fine, soft slippers.
Wants: To hear captivating stories and prolong her sister's life by keeping the Sultan entertained.
Flaw: Her reliance on others for entertainment and her inability to directly influence the Sultan's decisions.
Her role is consistent as the audience for Scheherazade, showing no significant personal arc within this segment.
Curious, eager, appreciative, and somewhat dependent on her sister for entertainment. She is easily captivated by stories.
Scheherazade
Elegant and composed, likely of Middle Eastern descent with a graceful posture. Her build is probably slender, reflecting her intellectual and artistic nature rather than physical labor.
Attire: Luxurious and modest, likely a richly embroidered silk dress or a two-piece ensemble (like a fitted top and flowing skirt) in deep jewel tones such as ruby red or amethyst purple, adorned with fine gold thread and possibly pearls. Her clothing would be elegant but not overtly revealing.
Wants: To save her own life and the lives of other women by captivating the Sultan with her stories, ultimately hoping to cure him of his madness.
Flaw: Her life is constantly at risk, dependent on her ability to maintain the Sultan's interest.
Her arc is ongoing; she is in the process of transforming the Sultan through her tales, demonstrating immense resilience and ingenuity.
Intelligent, resourceful, courageous, eloquent, and compassionate. She is a master storyteller and strategist.
Sultan Schahriar
Powerful and imposing, likely of Middle Eastern descent with a strong build. His presence commands authority, though his face might show signs of weariness or internal conflict.
Attire: Opulent royal attire: a flowing silk thobe or caftan in deep, rich colors like imperial purple or crimson, possibly embroidered with gold thread and precious stones. He would wear a jeweled turban and fine leather slippers.
Wants: To punish women for perceived infidelity (due to his past trauma) and to find a way to alleviate his profound boredom and despair, which Scheherazade's stories begin to address.
Flaw: His deep-seated trauma and mistrust of women, which drives his cruel decree. His curiosity is also a weakness that Scheherazade exploits.
He is in the early stages of a transformative arc, slowly being softened and reformed by Scheherazade's stories, moving away from his murderous decree.
Initially cruel, vengeful, and distrustful, but also curious and ultimately susceptible to the power of storytelling. He is a man of immense power but also deep psychological wounds.
The Fisherman
Lean and weathered from a life of hard labor by the sea. He is likely of Middle Eastern descent, with sun-darkened skin and calloused hands. His height is average, but his frame shows resilience.
Attire: Simple, worn, and practical clothing suitable for his profession: a coarse linen tunic (qamis) in muted colors like faded blue or brown, possibly patched. Loose-fitting trousers (sirwal) and bare feet or simple leather sandals. A rough head covering to protect from the sun.
Wants: To provide for his impoverished family and earn a meager living through his fishing.
Flaw: His initial despair and tendency to complain about his misfortune, though he quickly recovers his faith.
He begins in despair but finds a magical object that promises to change his fortune, setting him on an unexpected adventure.
Persevering, devout, humble, prone to despair but quick to hope, and ultimately resourceful. He is a man of faith despite his hardships.
The Jinni
A colossal, monstrous figure, twice the height of the tallest giant, formed from thick smoke. Its body is solid and imposing, radiating immense power. Its form is likely humanoid but with exaggerated, terrifying proportions.
Attire: None, as it is a being of smoke and magic. Its form itself is its 'attire'.
Wants: To exact revenge on whoever released it, due to its long and unjust imprisonment, and to fulfill its ancient vow.
Flaw: Bound by the magical seal of Solomon, and susceptible to clever trickery (implied by its eventual interaction with the fisherman in later parts of the story).
It has just been released and is poised to enact its long-held vengeance, beginning its interaction with the fisherman.
Ancient, powerful, vengeful, and initially terrifying. It is bound by ancient magic and driven by a desire for revenge after its long imprisonment.
Locations
Seashore by the Sultan's Palace
A sandy or rocky shore along a vast sea, likely near a bustling city or a sultan's domain, where the day begins to break. The air is cool and possibly humid from the sea. The ground is a mix of sand, pebbles, and possibly some discarded refuse from the sea.
Mood: Initially desolate and despairing for the fisherman, then shifting to awe and terror as the genie emerges.
The fisherman casts his nets multiple times, finds the sealed copper vase, opens it, and releases the colossal genie.