Transvestia

the land-side stretched an empty waste, and out to sea there was only a solitary gull. Finally he looked up, and even Allah did not appear to be watching and so he yielded, and touched a tube of vermillion to his lips. A few breathless moments later, from the mirror within the box lid a lovely maiden stared solemly at him with eyes that were hauntingly familiar, from an utterly un- known and strange face.

"Well!" she said, "it certainly took you long enough Do you know, I've been locked in that box for simply thousands and thousands of years?".

"But

-" said the fisherman.

"I could kill you for being so slow! Still, I supp- ose you did about as well as could be expected", and she started picking up the finest of the dried seaweed lying about and tucking it under his turban. "You have no idea how dull it"s been inside that box. But now we' re going to live a bit!" She transfixed him with a daz- zling smile which made him feel dizzy and faint, as though he had been sunstruck yet the sun was barely above the horizon.

"Yes, but

said the fisherman.

She was tearing bits off the nets, and skillfully we- aving them around the best of the shells and bright peb- bles "I've had lots of time to make plans, and I know just what to do". A glittering necklace went over his head. "You never could pronounce my name, you could- not even read it on this side of the mirror, so you may just call me "Jeannie", she added with aparkling eyes.

"But

said the fisherman.

"That's just a little joke", she explained. Then suddenly she was staring at his garment, which was little more than a sheet wrapped around him, and none too clean either. "You don't expect me to wear THAT do you?"

"No,

but

said the fisherman.

"Of course not! I knew you'd understand. Now let's