After the second year, the soul came down to the sea and called the young fisherman. He came out of the sea and said, ‘Why do you call me?’

 

The soul answered, ‘Come nearer. I want to speak to you because I saw marvellous things.’

 

So he came nearer, and sat in the water and listened.

 

The soul said to him, ‘When I left you, I went towards the South and travelled. Everything precious comes from the South.

 

‘I travelled six days to the city of Ashter. I saw the city on the morning of the seventh day.

 

‘The city is like a bazaar. It is wonderful. Merchants sit on silk carpets. Some of them sell strange perfumes from the islands of the Indian Sea, and the oil of red roses. Other merchants sell fantastic jewellery with tiger claws in gold and leopard claws in gold also.

 

‘The people sell all kinds of fruit: purple figs, yellow melons, white grapes, red-gold oranges and oval lemons of green gold. I saw an elephant. It stopped and began eating the oranges and the people laughed. You cannot imagine how strange these people are. When they are happy they buy a bird in a cage. Then they release the bird because they want to be happier. When they are sad they hit their bodies with thorns because they want to be sadder.

 

‘On the feast of the New Moon, the Emperor came out of his palace and went into the mosque to pray. The people covered their faces, but I showed him no form of respect.

 

‘That night the guards of the Emperor came for me. They accompanied me into the palace. We walked across a great court and then we entered a beautiful garden. At the end of the garden there was a pavilion. Then the captain of the guard told me to enter.

 

‘The young Emperor was there on a bed of lion skins, and he held a falcon. A Nubian stood behind him. A large scimitar of steel was on a table next to the bed.

 

‘When the Emperor saw me he was worried, and said to me, “What is your name? Don’t you know that I am Emperor of this city?” I did not answer him.

 

‘He indicated the scimitar, and the Nubian took it and hit me with great violence. It did not hurt me. The Nubian was terrified and went away.

 

‘The Emperor tried to kill me with a lance but he didn’t hurt me. He tried to kill me with an arrow, but I stopped it in the air. Then the Emperor said to me, “Why can’t I hurt you? Are you a prophet or the son of a prophet? Please leave my city tonight. You are here now and I am not its lord.”

 

‘I answered him, “Give me half of your treasure. Then I will go away

 

‘So, he took my hand and accompanied me to a large room. He touched one of the walls and it opened. Then we walked down a corridor. He said a magic word and a granite door opened. The Emperor covered his eyes with his hands to protect them from the light of the jewels there. It was really marvellous inside. There were huge tortoise-shells full of pearls, and many other wonderful jewels.

 

‘Then the Emperor said to me, “This is my house of treasure, and half of it is yours. But you must go tonight. My father the Sun must not see this: I cannot kill a man in the city.”

 

‘I answered him, “The gold and all the precious jewels are yours. I only want your little ring.”

 

‘The Emperor frowned. “It is only a ring of lead,” he cried, “and it has no value. Take your half of the treasure and go away from my city.”

 

‘”No,” I answered, “I know that it is really the Ring of Riches.” ‘The Emperor trembled and said, “Take all the treasure and go from my city. You can also have my half of the treasure.”

 

‘Then I did something strange, but it is not important. What is important is that I put the Ring of Riches in a cave. You can arrive there in one day. The owner of this Ring is richer than all the kings of the world.’

 

But the young fisherman laughed. ‘Love is better than riches,’ he cried, ‘and the little mermaid loves me.’

 

‘No, nothing is better than riches,’ said the soul.

 

‘Love is better,’ answered the young fisherman. He went back to the sea, and the soul walked away and cried.