The Tale Of The Merchant And The Jinn

The Arabian Nights: In five volumes V.1, Printed for William Miller by W. Bulmer and Co, London, 1802, engravings by: Robert Smirke

Thousand and one Nights in three Volumes, Edward Willimas Lane, John Murray, 1859, Illustrated by engravings on wood from designs by William Harben, Edited by Edward Stanley Poole

    A wealthy trader sits beneath a tree resting and eating dates and throwing the pits aside. A huge Ifrit appears with "drawn sword" and tells the merchant that he is going to kill him. The confused merchant asks why and the Ifrit explains that one of the date pits hit his son and killed him and now he is going to avenge his son's death. The merchant asks to go home to get his house in order and will return in one years time. 

     While waiting for the Ifrit to return the merchant meets three shaykh who offer to tell their tale to the Ifrit in return for a third of the merchant's blood if the Ifrit finds the tales enjoyable (in the hopes of saving  his life). They each tell their story to the Ifrit and successfully save the merchant.