Ismail and the Copper Jar

On the coast of a bright, ancient sea lived a fisherman named Ismail. He was kind, but very poor, and his luck had been as dry as the desert sand.

Every day, he would cast his net four times. The first time, he pulled up only a bundle of tangled seaweed that smelled of mud and disappointment.

The second time, his net was heavy, heavy, heavy! But when he hauled it in, it held only a large sack of sharp stones and bits of broken pottery.

The third time, he caught a handful of bones and one very old shoe with a mossy lace. Ismail sighed, patched a small hole in his net, and prepared for his last cast.

"Bismillah," he whispered, throwing the woven rope for the fourth and final time. When he pulled, the net felt strangely light, yet steady. Inside, there was a small, sealed jar of copper.

Ismail shook the jar. He could hear a small, humming sound inside. Driven by curiosity, he used his fishing knife to scrape away the ancient, leaden seal.

With a hiss and a plume, thick black smoke began to pour out of the jar! The smoke rose high into the sky, twisting and turning until it took the shape of a truly enormous, magnificent Jinn.

The Jinn, Rayyan, stretched his great arms and boomed, "Finally! I have been trapped for a thousand years! And now, for the first act of my freedom, I shall grant you three wishes!"

Ismail, though terrified, answered calmly, "Three wishes? No, great Rayyan. I have learned that the greatest gifts are earned through work. I only wish for one thing: a simple, safe harbor for my little boat."

Rayyan smiled. "Your kindness and honesty are better than any wish, noble Fisherman." He snapped his fingers, and a small, sturdy dock appeared. Ismail thanked him, and they both went back to their honest lives—one with a full net, the other with a free spirit.