Arabian Merchant Jinni
tale:arabian_merchant_jinniA merchant idly tosses a date-stone and unknowingly kills the unseen son of a jinni, who appears to claim his life in return. Three passing sheikhs each offer to tell the jinni a tale so wondrous that, if it pleases him, he will pardon a third of the merchant's blood — and by their stories the merchant is spared. Moral: a well-told tale can buy back a life. — Thousand and One Nights