What is the story of The Tale of the Second Old Man and the Two Black Dogs?

The Tale of the Second Old Man and the Two Black Dogs is one of the many stories featured in the book, One Thousand and One Nights, also known as Arabian Nights. The story begins with an old man telling a group of travelers about how he once had two loyal dogs that he loved dearly. One day, while traveling, he stopped to rest in a ruined city and fell asleep. When he woke up, he discovered that his two dogs had been turned to stone.

He soon encounters another old man who tells him a similar story about how he had two black dogs that were turned to stone. The second old man then reveals that he was responsible for the transformation and promises to turn the dogs back to their original form if the first old man agrees to switch lives with him.

The first old man agrees to the proposition and switches lives with the second old man, but soon realizes that he has made a grave mistake. He discovers that the second old man is actually a powerful jinn who has been turned into an old man for his misdeeds, and is now seeking revenge. The first old man manages to escape with the help of his dogs, who are returned to him by the jinn.