When our man heard that, the length of the road did not frighten him—he had already travelled over so much. He sets out then, and at last arrives at that city. He asks if anyone is in want of a gardener. They tell him that the gardener of the castle has gone away, and that perhaps they will take him. He goes off, and recognises his house—judge with what joy and delight! He asks if they are in want of a gardener. They tell him “Yes,” and our lad is very pleased. He passes some time tolerably happily—middling. He talks with a servant about the riches of the masters and of the power which they had. He flattered and cajoled this young girl very much to get from her the history of the snuff-box, and he told her once that he very much wished to see it. One evening she brought it to him to look at, and our lad, very much pleased, pays great attention to where it was hidden in the room of the mistress. At night, when everybody is asleep, he goes and takes the snuff-box. You will understand with what joy he opens it.
It says to him, “Que quieres?”
And the lad says to it, “Que quieres, Que quieres,[24] carry me with my castle to the same place as (we were in) formerly, and drown the king and the queen and all the servants in this Red Sea.”
As soon as he had said it, he was carried to his wife, and they lived happily, and the others all perished in the Red Sea.[25]
Catherine Elizondo.
Mahistruba, the Master Mariner.
Like many others in the world, there was a master mariner. Having had many losses and misfortunes in his life he no longer made any voyages, but every day went down to the seaside for amusement, and every day he met a large serpent, and every day he said to it:
“God has given thy life to thee; live then.”
This master mariner lived upon what his wife and daughter earned by sewing. One day the serpent said to him:
“Go to such a shipbuilder’s, and order a ship of so many tons burden. Ask the price of it, and then double the price they tell you.”[26]