Know, O Lord of the Kings of the Jann, that these two dogs are my brothers, and I am the third. When our father died, he left us a capital of three thousand gold pieces. I opened a shop with my share and bought and sold within it, and my two brothers did likewise, each setting up a shop of his own. But before long, the elder sold his stock for a thousand dinars and, after buying supplies and merchandise, went away to foreign lands. He was absent a whole year with a caravan.

One day, as I sat in my shop, a beggar stood before me asking for alms. I said to him, "May Allah open another door for you!" He answered, weeping, "Am I so changed that you do not know me?" Then I looked at him closely, and lo, it was my brother! I rose to greet him and welcome him, then seated him in my shop and asked about his circumstances. "Do not ask," he replied, "my wealth is gone and my state is ruined." So I took him to the bathhouse, clothed him in a suit of my own, and gave him lodging in my house.

Moreover, after reviewing the accounts of my merchandise and the profits of my business, I found that my industry had brought me a thousand dinars in gain, while my original capital amounted to two thousand. So I shared everything with him, saying, "Think of yourself as having never gone abroad but having remained at home. Do not be downhearted by your misfortune." He accepted the share with great joy and opened a shop for himself, and matters went on peacefully for some time.

Later, my second brother—that other dog—also set his heart on travel. He sold off his goods and merchandise, and though we tried to dissuade him, he would not listen. He prepared supplies for the journey and departed with certain wayfarers. After an absence of a whole year, he came back to me in the same manner as my elder brother had returned. When I said to him, "O my brother, did I not warn you against travel?" he wept and cried, "O my brother, this is the decree of destiny! Here I am, a beggar, penniless and without even a shirt on my back."

So I took him to the bathhouse, O Jinni, clothed him in new garments from my own wardrobe, and took him to my shop, where I served him food and drink. Furthermore, I said to him, "O my brother, I am accustomed to settle my shop accounts at the beginning of each year, and whatever surplus I find is shared between us." So I proceeded, O Ifrit, to calculate the balance and, finding two thousand dinars of profit, I returned praise to the Creator, and gave half to my brother, keeping the other half for myself. He then busied himself with opening a shop, and in this way we remained together for many days.

After a time, my brothers began urging me to travel with them, but I refused, saying, "What did travel gain for you that it should gain for me?" As I would not heed them, we each returned to our own shops, where we bought and sold as before. For a whole year they kept urging me to travel, but I refused until six full years had passed. Then I finally agreed, saying, "O my brothers, very well, I will be your travelling companion. Now let me see what money you have with you." But I found that they did not have even a single dinar, for they had squandered all their wealth on fine dining, drinking, and worldly pleasures. Yet I spoke no word of reproach. Instead, I reviewed my shop accounts once more and sold all my merchandise and goods. Finding myself the owner of six thousand dinars, I gladly proceeded to divide that sum in half, saying to my brothers,

"These three thousand gold pieces are for you and me to trade with," adding, "Let us bury the other half underground so it may serve us in case any harm befalls us. In such a case, each of us can take a thousand dinars with which to open shops." Both agreed, saying, "Your plan is wise." I gave to each brother a thousand gold pieces, keeping the same amount for myself. We then gathered suitable merchandise and hired a ship. Having loaded our wares aboard, we set sail, voyaging for a full month, after which we arrived at a city where we sold our goods. For every piece of gold we had invested, we gained ten.

As we prepared to return on our voyage, we found on the seashore a maiden dressed in worn and ragged clothing. She kissed my hand and said, "O master, is there kindness and charity in you? I can make you fitting recompense." I answered, "Indeed, I have benevolence and goodness within me, even if you offer no return." She said, "Take me as your wife, O master, and carry me to your city, for I have given myself to you. Grant me this kindness, for I am worthy of good works and charity. I will make you fitting recompense, and do not be ashamed of my condition."

When I heard her words, my heart was drawn to her by the will of Allah, and I took her, clothed her, and prepared a beautiful resting place for her in the vessel. I treated her with great honour. As we voyaged, my heart became deeply attached to her, and I was never separated from her, neither night nor day. I gave her more attention than I gave to my brothers. This made them jealous of my wealth and the quantity of merchandise I possessed, and they cast covetous eyes upon all my property. They plotted together to murder me and seize my wealth, saying, "Let us kill our brother, and then all his money will be ours." Satan made this evil deed seem right to them. So when they found me alone, sleeping beside my wife, they grabbed us both and cast us into the sea.

My wife awoke suddenly from her sleep and, transforming into an Ifritah at once, she bore me up and carried me to an island. She disappeared for a short time but returned in the morning, saying, "Here am I, your faithful servant, who has made you fitting recompense, for I saved you from drowning by command of the Almighty. Know that I am a Jinniyah, and when I saw you, my heart was drawn to you by the will of the Lord, for I am a believer in Allah and in His Prophet—may Heaven bless and preserve him. I came to you in the condition in which you saw me and you married me. Now I have saved you from drowning. But I am angry at your brothers and I must slay them." When I heard her tale, I was amazed. I thanked her for all she had done, but I said, "As for slaying my brothers, this cannot be." Then I told her the entire story of what had happened to us from the beginning of our lives to that moment. When she heard it, she said, "This night I will fly as a bird over them and sink their ship, and I will slay them." I said, "In God's name, do not do this, for there is a proverb that says: Do good to him that does evil, but leave the evil-doer to his own evil deeds. Besides, they are still my brothers." But she replied, "By God, there is no help for it—I must slay them." I humbled myself before her and begged for their pardon. She bore me up and flew away with me until she set me down on the terrace roof of my own house. I opened the doors and retrieved what I had buried in the ground. After greeting the people, I opened my shop and bought merchandise.

That night, when I came home, I saw these two hounds tied up. When they saw me, they arose and whined and fawned upon me. Before I realised what had happened, my wife said, "These two dogs are your brothers!" I asked, "Who has done this to them?" She replied, "I sent word to my sister, and she treated them in this way. They shall not be released from this form until ten years have passed." Now I have come to this place on my way to my wife's sister, so that she may free them from this condition, after they have endured it for ten years. As I was going onward, I saw this young man, who told me what had befallen him. I determined not to leave until I could see what might happen between you and him. Such is my tale!"

Then the Jinni said, "Surely this is a strange story, and therefore I grant you the third part of this man's blood."

Thereupon the third Shaykh—the master of the she-mule—said to the Jinni, "I can tell you a tale more wondrous than these two, if you will grant me the remainder of his blood and the forgiveness of his offense." The Jinni answered, "So be it!" Then the old man began