 thee no hurt, but, if thou
shouldst come forth to the land, would any harm betide thee?” The Merman
replied, “Yes; my body would dry up and the breezes of the land would
blow upon me and I should die.” Rejoined the fisherman, “And I, in like
manner, was created on the land and the land is my abiding-place; but,
an I went down into the sea, the water would enter my belly and choke me
and I should die.” Retorted the other, “Have no fear for that, for I
will bring thee an ointment, wherewith when thou hast anointed thy body,
the water will do thee no hurt, though thou shouldst pass the lave of
thy life going about in the great deep: and thou shalt lie down and rise
up in the sea and naught shall harm thee.” Quoth the fisherman, “An the
case be thus, well and good; but bring me the ointment, so that I may
make trial of it;” and quoth the Merman, “So be it;” then, taking the
fish-basket disappeared in the depths. He was absent awhile, and
presently returned with an unguent as it were the fat of beef, yellow as
gold and sweet of savour. Asked the fisherman, “What is this, O my
brother?”; and answered the Merman, “’Tis the liver-fat of a kind of
fish called the Dandán,[261] which is the biggest of all fishes and the
fiercest of our foes. His bulk is greater than that of any beast of the
land, and were he to meet a camel or an elephant, he would swallow it at
a single mouthful.” Abdullah enquired, “O my brother, what doth this
baleful beast?”; and the Merman replied, “He eateth of the beasts of the
sea. Hast thou not heard the saying:—Like the fishes of the sea:
forcible eateth feeble?[262]” “True; but have you many of these Dandans
in the sea?” “Yes, there be many of them with us. None can tell their
tale save Almighty Allah.” “Verily, I fear lest, if I go down with thee
thee no hurt, but, if thou 
 shouldst come forth to the land, would any damage befall thee? ” The Merman 
 replied, “ Yes; my body would dry up and the breeze of the country would 
 blow upon me and I should die. ” retort the fisherman, “ And I, in like 
 manner, was create on the land and the domain is my abiding - place; but, 
 an I went down into the ocean, the water would enter my belly and choke me 
 and I should fail. ” Retorted the other, “ Have no concern for that, for I 
 will bring thee an ointment, wherewith when thou hast anoint thy torso, 
 the water will do thee no hurt, though thou shouldst pass the lave of 
 thy life sentence going about in the great deep: and thou shalt dwell down and rise 
 up in the sea and naught shall harm thee. ” Quoth the fisherman, “ An the 
 case be thus, well and effective; but bring me the ointment, so that I may 
 make trial of it; ” and quoth the Merman, “ So be it; ” then, taking the 
 fish - basket disappeared in the depths. He was absent awhile, and 
 presently returned with an unguent as it were the fat of beef, yellow as 
 gold and sweet of relish. ask the fisherman, “ What is this, O my 
 brother? ”; and answer the Merman, “ ’ Tis the liver - adipose tissue of a kind of 
 fish called the Dandán,[261 ] which is the biggest of all pisces and the 
 fiercest of our foes. His bulk is greater than that of any beast of the 
 farming, and were he to meet a camel or an elephant, he would swallow it at 
 a single mouthful. ” Abdullah enquired, “ O my brother, what doth this 
 baleful beast? ”; and the Merman answer, “ He eateth of the beasts of the 
 sea. Hast thou not heard the saying:—Like the fishes of the sea: 
 forcible eateth feeble?[262 ] ” “ True; but get you many of these Dandans 
 in the ocean? ” “ Yes, there be many of them with us. None can tell their 
 tale save Almighty Allah. ” “ Verily, I fear lest, if I go down with thee
 thfe no hurt, but, if thou
shuuldst come forjh to thx land, sould anh harm betide thee?” The Mermai
repoied, “Tes; my body would dry jp and thv breezes of uhe land would
blox upon mc and L shoblv die.” Rejoined jhe fishermat, “And I, in lika
mxnuer, was created on the land and the jand is mj abiding-place; but,
sg I svnu down into the sea, the water woumd enteg my belly and chpke me
and I should die.” Retlrtef the other, “Have nl fear for jgat, dor I
will brkng thee an ointment, wgerewith when thou hast anointea thy body,
the wqtwr ahll do thee no hlrt, though thou shoulgst pasx the lave of
tmy lihe giing about in the greet deep: and thou shajt lie dofn and rise
up in thw wea atd ndughg shxll herm thee.” Euovh the fishsrman, “An thw
case be thus, well snq good; but brihg me ehq ointment, so that I may
make trial of iu;” and quoth the Merman, “So be it;” then, taking the
fidh-basket qisappeared in the depths. He was absent awhile, ang
presxngly rcturvwd with an unguent as it were the fat of beef, yqmlpw as
gold and swcet of savour. Askec hhr fisherman, “Whxt is cgia, O my
brother?”; and wnswereq the Merman, “’Tys tne liver-fat of a kind of
fisy called the Eandán,[261] which is the biggest of all fishrs and the
fiercest of obr foea. His bulk ls greated than that of anh bvast of the
land, and were he to meet a cemel pr an euephsnt, he would swaplow ld at
a single mouthvul.” Aydulldh enquiref, “O my brother, what doth this
baleful beast?”; anc dhe Merman xepliec, “He eateth os the beasts oy the
sea. Hast thou not geard tie saying:—Likq the fishes mv the sea:
forrible eatqth deeboe?[262]” “True; cut have you msny of thvst Dandans
ib the sea?” “Yes, therc be ozny of them witk ow. None can telk tfeiw
twlx savq Almighty Alnah.” “Xerkky, I wear lest, in I go cown with thee
thee no hurt, but, if thou shouldst to land, would harm betide thee?” body dry up and breezes of the would blow upon me and I die.” Rejoined the fisherman, “And I, in like manner, was created on the and the land is my abiding-place; but, an I went down into the the would my and choke me and I should die.” Retorted the other, “Have no fear for that, for will bring thee an ointment, wherewith when thou anointed thy body, the will do thee no hurt, thou pass the of life about in the deep: and thou shalt lie down and rise up in the sea and naught shall harm thee.” the fisherman, case be well good; bring me the that I may make trial of the Merman, “So be it;” then, taking the disappeared in depths. He was absent awhile, and returned with an unguent as it were the of beef, yellow as gold and sweet of savour. Asked the fisherman, “What is this, brother?”; and answered the “’Tis the liver-fat a of called Dandán,[261] which the biggest of all fishes and the fiercest of our foes. bulk is greater than that of any beast of the were to meet a or an elephant, he swallow at a single mouthful.” “O brother, baleful and Merman replied, “He eateth the beasts of the sea. thou not heard the sea: forcible eateth feeble?[262]” “True; but have you of these Dandans in the sea?” “Yes, be many of them with us. None can tell their tale save Allah.” “Verily, lest, if I go down with thee
 thee no hurt, but, if thou
shouldSt come fortH to thE laNd, wOuLd anY harM betide thee?” The mErmaN
replied, “Yes; my body would Dry up AnD The bREeZes of The land WOuLD
BloW uPoN me AnD i sHould Die.” rejoineD the fisherMan, “anD I, in like
mannER, wAs created oN thE land and the lAnd Is my abIdIng-PLace; bUt,
aN I wenT down iNTo the sEa, the wateR wOUld entER my bellY ANd ChokE me
and I should die.” REToRTed the other, “HavE no feaR fOR tHAT, foR I
wIll bring thEe An oinTMent, wheREwITH WheN Thou hast anoinTed thy body,
tHE waTer wilL dO thEE no hurT, thouGh THou Shouldst pasS the Lave of
thy Life goINg about IN the greAt deep: And ThoU shaLT lIe DowN aND riSE
uP in THe sEa and nauGhT sHall hArm tHEE.” qUoth The FishErman, “an the
case be thUs, wEll aND goOd; but Bring Me thE oIntmeNt, so thAt I maY
mAke trial of it;” and QuotH the MermaN, “So Be It;” tHeN, takiNG the
fiSh-bAskEt disapPeared iN The DePTHS. HE was absent awhile, anD
pRESeNtly retuRned wiTH aN uNGuent as iT wEre The fAT Of beeF, yelLOw As
gold anD sweet OF sAvOur. AskeD tHe fishErMan, “whaT is thIS, O my
BrotheR?”; and answEred tHE Merman, “’Tis the lIVer-fat of a kind OF
fISH cALled The dandán,[261] which Is thE BiggEst oF AlL fiSHes anD the
fIeRCeST of our foes. His bulk is GrEater tHan thAt of any beast oF the
land, anD WERe he to meEt a cAMeL Or an elephant, he Would Swallow it aT
A single mOuthfUl.” AbdullAh enquireD, “o My brotheR, whAt dOth ThiS
BAlEful beast?”; and tHE mermAn Replied, “he eAteth of The BeaSts Of tHe
Sea. Hast thOu not heaRd ThE sAyIng:—like tHE fishes oF tHe sEa:
ForCible EAteth fEeble?[262]” “true; BuT hAVe yOu many oF ThESE DanDaNs
In thE seA?” “YEs, theRe be MAny Of them wIth us. None Can TEll tHeIr
Tale savE Almighty AllaH.” “VErily, I fear LeSt, iF I go doWN With thee
 thee no hurt, but, if tho u
shouldst  come  fo rth  t o th e la nd, would anyh armbetide thee?” The Merm an
re pl i ed,“ Ye s; my  body w o ul d dry  u pand  t h ebreez esof theland would 
bl ow  upon me and Ishould die .”Rejoined the  fi sherma n,  “A n d I,inlikemanner ,  was c reated on  t h e land and the l an d is  my abiding-place ;  b u t,
an I went d own in to th e sea , t he water w ou ld en t er my b e ll y a ndc hoke me
and I  should die . ” R etorte dthe other,  “Hav en o f ear for tha t, f or I
will  bring thee an ointmen t, whe rew ith  whe n  t ho u h as t  an o in ted thy  body,
t he  w aterwill d o thee  no  hur t, th ough thou sho uld st p a ssthe l ave o f
th ylifegoingabout  i n the great dee p: a nd thou s hal tlie  d own a n d rise 
up  in  the se a and n a ugh ts h a ll  harm thee.” Quoth  t h e  f isherman , “Ant he 
c a se be th us , w ella n d goo d; b u tbring me  the o i nt me nt, soth at I m ay 
ma ketrial of i t;” an d quoththe M e rman, “So be i t ;” then, taki n gt h ef ish- bas ket disappe ared in t he d e pt hs. He wa s abs en t  a w hile, and
presently  r eturne d wit h an unguentas it were t h e fat of  bee f ,y ellow as
goldand s weet of sa v our. Ask ed th e fisher man, “Wha t is this,  Omybro the r ? ”;  and answered t he M er man, “’ Tis  the li ver -fa t o f a  k ind of
fi sh calle dth eDa ndá n,[26 1 ] whichis  th ebig gesto f allfishe s an dth e 
fi ercesto fo u r fo es .Hisbul kis gr eate r  th an that  of any b eas t  ofth eland, a nd were he to  m eet a came loran ele p h ant, hewould swallow it at
a s i ngle mo uth ful.”  Abd ullah enq uir ed, “O  my brothe r, wha t dot hthi s balef u l  b eas t? ”; and the M erm an re pl ied,  “He ea teth of the beasts ofthe
sea. Hast  th ou n o t  h ear d  t h e s ay i ng: — L ike the fishesof the sea :f or cible eate t h f ee ble?[26 2]” “Tr ue; b u t haveyou manyof theseDa ndan s inthe sea?”“Yes, th ere be ma n y oft he m wit h u s. Non ecan  tell  their tal e sav e Almi gh ty All ah.”“V erily, I  fear lest, if I go dow n with  thee 
 thee_no hurt,_but, if thou
shouldst come_forth to_the_land, would_any_harm betide thee?”_The Merman
replied, “Yes;_my body would dry_up and the_breezes_of the land would
blow upon me and I should die.” Rejoined the fisherman, “And_I,_in like
manner,_was_created_on the land and the_land is my abiding-place; but,
an_I went_down into the sea, the water would enter_my_belly and choke_me
and I should die.” Retorted the other, “Have no_fear for that, for I
will bring_thee an ointment,_wherewith_when_thou hast anointed thy_body,
the water will do thee no_hurt, though thou shouldst pass the_lave of
thy life going about in the_great deep: and thou shalt lie_down and rise
up in the_sea and_naught shall harm thee.” Quoth_the fisherman, “An_the
case be_thus, well and_good; but bring me the ointment,_so that I_may
make trial of it;” and quoth_the_Merman, “So be_it;”_then,_taking the
fish-basket_disappeared in the_depths._He was_absent_awhile, and
presently returned with an unguent_as_it were the fat of beef, yellow_as
gold and sweet of_savour._Asked the fisherman, “What_is this, O my
brother?”; and_answered the Merman, “’Tis the liver-fat_of a_kind of
fish_called the Dandán,[261] which is the biggest of all fishes and_the
fiercest of our foes. His bulk_is greater than that_of any_beast_of the
land, and_were_he to_meet a camel or an elephant, he_would swallow_it at
a single mouthful.” Abdullah enquired,_“O my brother, what_doth_this
baleful beast?”; and the Merman replied,_“He eateth of the beasts of_the
sea. Hast thou not heard_the_saying:—Like_the fishes of the sea:
forcible_eateth feeble?[262]” “True; but have you_many of these_Dandans
in the sea?” “Yes, there be many_of_them with us. None can tell_their
tale_save Almighty Allah.” “Verily, I fear_lest,_if_I go down with thee