Page 68 - @ccess3_Readers Book

"I shall grant you one thing," the genie replied. "You may
choose your manner of death."

"Why? Why would you kill me?" the fisherman wailed.

"Hear my story and you shall understand," might (modal
verb): quizás
said the genie, and so he told his tale.

"It began long ago when I rebelled against the king of the
genii. To punish me, the king enclosed me in this vase and
sealed it with lead. That might have been bad enough, but
then he flung the vase into the sea.

"For the first 100 years of my captivity, I swore I would honor
the man who freed me with many riches. Then 100 years
passed, and no one rescued me. During the second century
of my imprisonment, I vowed to give all the treasures in the
world to the man who set me free. One hundred years more
passed. In the third century, I swore I would make my savior
the king of the world, staying near him at all times, granting
him three wishes each day.

"But another 100 years passed, and still I was trapped in
the vase. My anger grew so great that at last I vowed that
whoever set me free would be punished with death, his
only wish being the manner by which he would die. And
so, you must choose," the genie ended his tale.

"Please," pleaded the fisherman, "please spare me. No man
can be so unlucky."

The genie sneered at him and said, "You're wasting my time.
Choose your death now."

The fisherman thought of his family, and concern for them
helped him devise a plan. "Tell me, genie," he said softly,
"did you really live inside this narrow vase?"

66 Reader's Book