Page 67 - @ccess 3 Reader´s Book
P. 67

"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?"


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