 CHAPTER 37 THE ENCHANTED HORSE PART II In common politeness the prince could hardly refuse this request, and the princess said about inventing every kind of amusement for him, and succeeded so well that two months slipped by almost unnoticed, in balls, spectacles, and in hunting, of which when unattended by danger the princess was passionately fond. But at last, one day, he declared seriously that he could neglect his duty no longer, and entreated her to put no further obstacles in his way, promising at the same time to return as soon as he could with all the magnificence do both to her and to himself. Princess, he added, it may be that in your heart you class me with those false lovers whose devotion cannot stand the test of absence. If you do, you wrong me, and were it not for fear of offending you, I would beseech you to come with me, for my life can only be happy when passed with you. As for your reception at the Persian court, it will be as warm as your merits deserve, and as for what concerns the king of Bengal, he must be much more indifferent to your welfare than you have led me to believe, if he does not give his consent to our marriage. The princess could not find words in which to reply to the arguments of the prince of Persia, but her silence and her downcast eyes spoke for her, and declared that she had no objection to accompanying him on his travels. The only difficulty that occurred to her was that Prince Faroo Shah did not know how to manage the horse, and she dreaded least they might find themselves in the same plight as before. But the prince soothed her fear so successfully that she soon had no other thought than to arrange for their flight so secretly that no one in the palace should suspect it. This was done, and early the following morning when the whole palace was wrapped in sleep, she stole up onto the roof, where the prince was already awaiting her with his horse's head towards Persia. He mounted first and helped the princess up behind. Then when she was firmly seated, with her hands holding tightly to his belt, he touched the screw, and the horse began to leave the earth quickly behind him. He traveled with his accustomed speed, and Prince Faroo Shah guided him so well that in two hours and a half from the time of starting he saw the capital of Persia lying beneath him. He determined to alight neither in the great square from which he had started, nor in the sultan's palace, but in a country house at a little distance from the town. Here he showed the princess a beautiful suite of rooms and begged her to rest, while he informed his father of their arrival and prepared a public reception worthy of her rank. Then he ordered a horse to be saddled and set out. All the way through the streets he was welcomed with shouts of joy by the people, who had long lost all hope of seeing him again. On reaching the palace he found the sultan surrounded by his ministers, all clad in the deepest morning, and his father almost went out of his mind with surprise and delight at the mere sound of his son's voice. When he had calmed down a little he begged the prince to relate his adventures. The prince at once seized the opening thus given him, and told the whole story of his treatment by the princess of Bengal, not even concealing the fact that she had fallen in love with him. And Sire ended the prince, having given my royal word that you would not refuse your consent to our marriage, I persuaded her to return with me on the Indian's horse. I have left her in one of your highness's country houses, where she is waiting anxiously to be assured that I have not promised in vain. As he said this the prince was about to throw himself at the feet of the sultan, but his father prevented him and embracing him again said eerily, My son, not only do I gladly consent to your marriage with the princess of Bengal, but I will hasten to pay my respects to her, and to thank her in my own person for the benefits she has conferred on you. I will then bring her back with me, and make all arrangements for the wedding to be celebrated today. So the sultan gave orders that the habits of mourning worn by the people should be thrown off, and that there should be a concert of drums, trumpets, and cymbals, also that the Indian should be taken from prison and brought before him. His commands were obeyed, and the Indian was led into his presence, surrounded by guards. I have kept you locked up, said the sultan, so that in case my son was lost your life should pay the penalty. He has now returned, so take your horse and be gone forever. The Indian hastily quitted the presence of the sultan, and when he was outside he inquired of the man who had taken him out of prison where the prince had really been all this time and what he had been doing. They told him the whole story and how the princess of Bengal was even then awaiting in the country palace the consent of the sultan, which at once put into the Indian's head a plan of revenge for the treatment he had experienced. Going straight to the country house he informed the doorkeeper who was left in charge that he had been sent by the sultan and by the prince of Persia to fetch the princess on the enchanted horse, and to bring her to the palace. The doorkeeper knew the Indian by sight, and was of course aware that nearly three months before he had been thrown into prison by the sultan, and seeing him at liberty the man took for granted that he was speaking the truth, and made no difficulty about leading him before the princess of Bengal, while on her side hearing that he had come from the prince, the lady gladly consented to do what he wished. The Indian, delighted with the success of his scheme, mounted the horse, assisted the princess to mount behind him, and turned the peg at the very moment that the prince was leaving the palace in Shiraz for the country house, followed closely by the sultan and all the court. Knowing this the Indian deliberately steered the horse right above the city, in order that his revenge for his unjust imprisonment might be all the quicker and sweeter. When the sultan of Persia saw the horse and its riders, he stopped short with astonishment and horror, and broke out into oaths and curse, which the Indian heard quite unmoved, knowing that he was perfectly safe from pursuit. But mortified and furious as the sultan was, his feelings were nothing to those of Prince Barusha when he saw the object of his passionate devotion being borne rapidly away, and while he was struck speechless with grief and remorse at not having guarded her better, she vanished swiftly out of his sight. What was he to do? Should he follow his father into the palace, and there give reigns to his despair? Both his love and his courage alike forbade it, and he continued his way to the palace. The sight of the prince showed the doorkeeper of what folly he had been guilty, and flinging himself at his master's feet implored his pardon. Rise, said the prince, I am the cause of this misfortune, and not you. Go and find me the dress of a dervish, but be aware of saying it is for me. At a short distance from the country house, a convent of dervishes was situated, and the superior, or shia, was the doorkeeper's friend. So by means of a false story made up on the spur of the moment, it was easy enough to get hold of a dervish's dress, which the prince at once put on instead of his own. Disguise like this, and concealing about him a box of pearls and diamonds he had intended as a present to the princess, he left the house at nightfall, uncertain where he should go, but firmly resolved not to return without her. Meanwhile, the Indian had turned the horse in such a direction that before many hours had passed, it had entered a wood close to the capital of the kingdom of Kashmir. Feeling very hungry and supposing that the princess also might be in want of food, he brought his steed down to the earth and left the princess in a shady place, on the banks of a clear stream. At first, when the princess found herself alone, the idea had occurred to her of trying to escape and hide herself. But as she had eaten scarcely anything since she had left Bengal, she felt she was too weak to venture far and was obliged to abandon her design. On the return of the Indian with meats of various kinds, she began to eat voraciously, and soon had regained sufficient courage to reply with spirit to his insolent remarks. Goaded by his threats, she sprang to her feet, calling loudly for help, and luckily her cries were heard by a troop of horsemen who wrote up to inquire what was the matter. Now the leader of these horsemen was the Sultan of Kashmir, returning from the chase, and he instantly turned to the Indian to inquire who he was and whom he had with him. The Indian rudely answered that it was his wife and there was no occasion for anyone else to interfere between them. The princess, who of course was ignorant of the rank of her deliverer, denied altogether the Indian's story. My lord, she cried, whoever you may be put no faith in this imposter. He is an abominable magician who has this day torn me from the Prince of Persia, my destined husband, and has brought me here on this enchanted horse. She would have continued, but her tears choked her, and the Sultan of Kashmir, convinced by her beauty and her distinguished air of the truth of her tail, ordered his followers to cut off the Indian's head, which was done immediately. But rescued though she was from one peril, it seemed as if she had only fallen into another. The Sultan commanded a horse to be given her, and conducted her to his own palace, where he led her to a beautiful apartment and selected female slaves to wait on her, and eunuchs to be her guard. Then, without allowing her time to thank him for all he had done, he bade her repose, saying she should tell him her adventures on the following day. The princess fell asleep, flattering herself that she had only to relate her story for the Sultan to be touched by compassion, and to restore her to the Prince without delay. But a few hours were to undeceive her. When the Prince of Kashmir had quitted her presence the evening before, he had resolved that the son should not set again without the princess becoming his wife. And at daybreak, proclamation of his intention was made throughout the town, by the sound of drums, trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments calculated to fill the heart with joy. The Princess of Bengal was early awakened by the noise, but she did not for one moment imagine that it had anything to do with her, till the Sultan, arriving as soon as she was dressed to inquire after her health, informed her that the trumpet blast she heard were part of the solemn marriage ceremonies, for which he begged her to prepare. This unexpected announcement caused the Princess such terror that she sank down in a dead faint. The slaves that were in waiting ran to her aid, and the Sultan himself did his best to bring her back to consciousness, but for a long while it was all to no purpose. At length her senses began slowly to come back to her, and then, rather than break faith with the Prince of Persia by consenting to such a marriage, she determined to feign madness. So she began by saying all sorts of absurdities, and using all kinds of strange gestures, while the Sultan stood watching her with sorrow and surprise. But as this sudden seizure showed no sign of abating, he left her to her women, ordering them to take the greatest care of her. Still, as the day went on, the malady seemed to become worse, and by night it was almost violent. Days passed in this manner, till at last the Sultan of Kashmir decided to summon all the doctors of his court to consult together over her sad state. Their answer was that madness is of so many different kinds, that it was impossible to give an opinion on the case without seeing the Princess. So the Sultan gave orders that they were to be introduced into her chamber, one by one, every man according to his rank. This decision had been foreseen by the Princess, who knew quite well that if once she allowed the physicians to feel her pulse, the most ignorant of them would discover that she was in perfectly good health and that her madness was feigned. So as each man approached, she broke out into such violent paroxys that not one dared to lay a finger on her. A few who pretended to be cleverer than the rest declared that they could diagnose sick people only from sight, ordered her certain potions which she had no difficulty about taking, as she was persuaded they were all harmless. When the Sultan of Kashmir saw that the court doctors could do nothing towards curing the Princess, he called in those of the city who fared no better. Then he had recourse to the most celebrated physicians in the other large towns, but finding that the task was beyond their science, he finally sent messengers into the other neighboring states, with a memorandum containing full particulars of the Princess's madness, offering at the same time to pay the expenses of any physician who would come and see for himself, and a handsome reward to the one who should cure her. In answer to this proclamation, many foreign professors flocked into Kashmir, but they naturally were not more successful than the rest had been, as the cure depended neither on them nor their skill, but only on the Princess herself. It was during this time that Prince Farooz Shah, wandering sadly and hopelessly from place to place, arrived in a large city of India, where he heard a great deal of talk about the Princess of Bengal who had gone out of her senses on the very day that she was to have been married to the Sultan of Kashmir. This was quite enough to induce him to take the road to Kashmir, and to inquire at the first inn at which he lodged in the capital the full particulars of the story. When he knew that he had at last found the Princess, whom he had so long lost, he set about devising a plan for her rescue. The first thing he did was to procure a doctor's robe, so that his dress added to the long beard he had allowed to grow on his travels might unmistakably proclaim his profession. He then lost no time in going to the palace, where he obtained an audience of the Chief Usher, and while apologizing for his boldness and presuming to think that he could cure the Princess, where so many others had failed, declared that he had the secret of certain remedies, which had hitherto never failed of their effect. The Chief Usher assured him that he was heartily welcome, and that the Sultan would receive him with pleasure, and in case of success he would gain a magnificent reward. When the Prince of Persia in the disguise of a physician was brought before him, the Sultan wasted no time in talking, beyond remarking that the mere sight of a doctor threw the Princess into transports of rage. He then led the Prince up to a room under the roof, which had an opening through which he might observe the Princess without himself being seen. The Prince looked and beheld the Princess reclining on a sofa with tears in her eyes, singing softly to herself a song bewailing her sad destiny, which had deprived her, perhaps forever, of a being she so tenderly loved. The young man's heart beat fast as he listened, for he needed no further proof that her madness was feigned, and that it was love of him which had caused her to resort to this species of trick. He softly left his hiding place and returned to the Sultan, to whom he reported that he was sure from certain signs that the Princess's malady was not incurable, but that he must see her and speak with her alone. The Sultan made no difficulty in consenting to this, and commanded that he should be ushered into the Princess's apartment. The moment she caught sight of his physician's robe, she sprang from her seat in a fury, and heaped insults upon him. The Prince took no notice of her behavior, and approaching quite close, so that his words might be heard by her alone, he said in a low whisper, Look at me, Princess, and you will see that I am no doctor, but the Prince of Persia, who has come to set you free. At the sound of his voice, the Princess of Bengal suddenly grew calm, and an expression of joy overspread her face, such as only comes when what we wish for most and expect the least suddenly happens to us. For some time she was too enchanted to speak, and Prince Farouz Shah took advantage of her silence to explain to her all that had occurred, his despair at watching her disappear before his very eyes, the oath he had sworn to follow her over the world, and his rapture at finally discovering her in the Palace of Kashmir. When he finished, he begged in his turn that the Princess would tell him how she had come there, so that he might the better devise some means of rescuing her from the tyranny of the Sultan. It needed but a few words from the Princess to make him acquainted with the whole situation, and how she had been forced to play the part of a madwoman in order to escape from a marriage with the Sultan, who had not had sufficient politeness even to ask her consent. If necessary, she added, she had resolved to die, sooner than permit herself to be forced into such a union, and break faith with a Prince whom she loved. The Prince then inquired if she knew what had become of the enchanted horse since the Indian's death, but the Princess could only reply that she had heard nothing about it. Still she did not suppose that the horse could have been forgotten by the Sultan, after all she had told him of its value. To this the Prince agreed, and they consulted together over a plan by which she might be able to make her escape and return with him into Persia. And as the first step, she was to dress herself with care, and receive the Sultan with civility when he visited her next morning. The Sultan was transported with delight on learning the result of the interview, and his opinion of the Doctor's skill was raised to higher when, on the following day, the Princess behaved towards him in such a way as to persuade him that her complete cure would not be long delayed. However, he contended himself with assuring her how happy he was to see her health so much improved, and exhorted her to make every use of so clever a physician, and to repose entire confidence in him. Then he retired without awaiting any reply from the Princess. The Prince of Persia left the room at the same time, and asked if he might be allowed humbly to inquire by what means the Princess of Bengal had reached Kashmir, which was so far distant from her father's kingdom and how she came to be there alone. The Sultan thought the question very natural, and told him the same story that the Princess of Bengal had done, adding that he had ordered the Enchanted Horse to be taken to his treasury as a curiosity, though he was quite ignorant how it could be used. Sire replied the physician, Your Highness's tale has supplied me with the clue I needed to complete the recovery of the Princess. During her voyage hither on an enchanted horse, a portion of its enchantment has by some means been communicated to her person, and it can only be dissipated by certain perfumes of which I possess the secret. If Your Highness will deign to consent, and to give the court and the people one of the most astonishing spectacles they have ever witnessed, command the horse to be brought into the big square outside the palace, and leave the rest to me. I promise that in a very few moments, in presence of all the assemble multitude, you shall see the Princess as healthy both in mind and body as ever she was in her life, and in order to make the spectacle as impressive as possible, I would suggest that she should be richly dressed and covered with the noblest jewels of the crown. The Sultan readily agreed to all that the Prince proposed, and the following morning he desired that the Enchanted Horse should be taken from the treasury and brought into the great square of the palace. Soon the rumor began to spread through the town that something extraordinary was about to happen, and such a crowd began to collect that the guards had to be called out to keep order and to make a way for the Enchanted Horse. When all was ready the Sultan appeared and took his place on a platform surrounded by the chief nobles and officers of his court. When they were seated the Princess of Bengal was seen leaving the palace, accompanied by the ladies who had been assigned to her by the Sultan. She slowly approached the Enchanted Horse and with the help of her ladies she mounted on its back. Directly she was in the saddle with her feet in the stirrups and the bridle in her hand. The physician placed around the horse some large braziers full of burning coals into each of which he threw a perfume composed of all sorts of delicious scents. Then he crossed his hands over his breast and with lowered eyes walked three times around the horse, muttering the while certain words. Soon there arose from the burning braziers a thick smoke which almost concealed both the horse and Princess and this was the moment for which he had been waiting. Springing lightly up behind the lady he leaned forward and turned the peg and as the horse started up into the air he cried aloud so that his words were heard by all present. Sultan of Kashmir, when you wished to marry princesses who have sought your protection, learned first to gain their consent. It was in this way that the Prince of Persia rescued the Princess of Bengal and returned with her to Persia where they descended this time before the palace of the king himself. The marriage was only delayed just long enough to make the ceremony as brilliant as possible and as soon as the rejoicings were over an ambassador was sent to the King of Bengal to inform him of what had passed and to ask his approbation of the alliance between the two countries which he heartily gave. End of Chapter 37 Chapter 38 of the Arabian Knights Entertainments This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Dale The Arabian Knights Entertainments by Andrew Lang Chapter 38 The story of two sisters who were jealous of their younger sister Once upon a time there reigned over Persia a Sultan named Khazrishah who from his boyhood had been fond of putting on a disguise and seeking adventures in all parts of the city accompanied by one of his officers disguised like himself and no sooner was his father buried and the ceremonies over that marked his accession to the throne than the young man hastened to throw off his robes of state and calling to his vizier to make ready likewise stole out in the simple dress of a private citizen into the less known streets of the capital passing down a lonely street the Sultan heard women's voices in loud discussion and peeping through a crack in the door he saw three sisters sitting on a sofa in a large hall talking in a very lively and earnest manner judging from the few words that reached his ear they were each explaining what sort of men they wished to marry I ask nothing better cried the eldest than to have the Sultan's baker for a husband think of being able to eat as much as one wanted of that delicious bread that is baked for his highness alone let us see if your wish is as good as mine I replied the second sister should be quite content with the Sultan's head cook what delicate stews I should feast upon and as I am persuaded that the Sultan's bread is used all through the palace I should have that into the bargain you see my dear sister my taste is as good as yours it was now the turn of the youngest sister who was by far the most beautiful of the three and had besides more sense than the other two as for me she said I should take a higher flight and if we are to wish for husbands nothing less than the Sultan himself will do for me the Sultan was so much amused by the conversation he had overheard that he made up his mind to gratify their wishes and turning to the Grand Vizier he bade him note the house and on the following morning to bring the ladies into his presence the Grand Vizier fulfilled his commission and hardly giving them time to change their dresses desired the three sisters to follow him to the palace here they were presented one by one when they had bowed before the Sultan the sovereign abruptly put the question to them tell me do you remember what you wished for last night when you were making merry fear nothing but answer me the truth these words which were so unexpected through the sisters into great confusion their eyes fell and the blushes of the youngest did not fail to make an impression on the heart of the Sultan all three remained silent and he hastened to continue do not be afraid I have not the slightest intention of giving you pain and let me tell you at once that I know the wishes formed by each one you he said turning to the youngest who desired to have me for an husband shall be satisfied this very day and you he added addressing himself to the other two shall be married at the same moment to my baker and to my chief cook when the Sultan had finished speaking the three sisters flung themselves at his feet and the youngest faltered out oh Sire since you know my foolish words believe I pray you that they were only said in joke I am unworthy of the honor you propose to do me and I can only ask pardon for my boldness the other sisters also tried to excuse themselves but the Sultan would hear nothing no no he said my mind is made up your wishes shall be accomplished so the three weddings were celebrated that same day but with a great difference that of the youngest was marked by all the magnificence that was customary at the marriage of the Shah of Persia while the festivities attending the nuptials of the Sultan's Baker and his chief cook were only such as were suitable to their conditions this though quite natural was highly displeasing to the elder sisters who fell into a passion of jealousy which in the end caused a great deal of trouble and pain to several people and the first time that they had the opportunity of speaking to each other which was not till several days later at a public bath they did not attempt to disguise their feelings can you possibly understand what the Sultan saw in that little cat said one to the other for him to be so fascinated by her he must be quite blind returned the wife of the chief cook as for her looking a little younger than we do what does that matter you would have made a far better sultana than she oh I say nothing of myself replied the elder and if the Sultan had chosen you it would have been all very well but it really grieves me that he should have selected a wretched little creature like that however I will be revenged on her somehow and I beg you will give me your help in the matter and to tell me anything that you can think of that is likely to mortify her in order to carry out their wicked scheme the two sisters met constantly to talk over their ideas though all the while they pretended to be as friendly as ever towards the sultana who on her part invariably treated them with kindness for a long time no plan occurred to the two plotters that seemed in the least likely to meet with success but at length the expected birth of an heir gave them the chance for which they had been hoping they obtained permission of the Sultan to take up their abode in the palace for some weeks and never left their sister night or day when at last a little boy beautiful as the sun was born they laid him in his cradle and carried it down to a canal which passed through the grounds of the palace then when leaving it to its fate they informed the sultan that instead of the sun he had so fondly desired the sultana had given birth to a puppy at this dreadful news the sultan was so overcome with rage and grief that it was with great difficulty that the Grand Vizier managed to save the sultana from his wrath meanwhile the cradle continued to float peacefully along the canal till on the outskirts of the royal gardens it was suddenly perceived by the intendant one of the highest and most respected officials in the kingdom go he said to a gardener who was working near and get that cradle out for me the gardener did as he was bid and soon placed the cradle in the hands of the intendant the official was much astonished to see that the cradle which he had supposed to be empty contained a baby which young though it was already gave promise of great beauty having no children himself although he had been married some years it at once occurred to him that here was a child which he could take and bring up as his own and bidding the man pick up the cradle and follow him he turned towards home my wife he exclaimed as he entered the room heaven has denied us any children but here is one that has been sent in their place send for a nurse and i will do what is needed publicly to recognize it as my son the wife accepted the baby with joy and though the intendant saw quite well that it must have come from the royal palace he did not think it was his business to inquire further into the mystery the following year another prince was born and sent to drift but happily for the baby the intendant of the gardens again was walking by the canal and carried it home as before the sultan naturally enough was still more furious the second time than the first but when the same curious accident was repeated in the third year he could control himself no longer and to the great joy of the jealous sisters commanded that the sultana should be executed but the poor lady was so much beloved at court that not even the dread of sharing her fate could prevent the grand vizier and the courtiers from throwing themselves at the sultan's feet and imploring him not to inflict so cruel a punishment for what after all was not her fault let her live and treated the grand vizier and banish her from your presence for the rest of her days that in itself will be punishment enough his first passion spent the sultan had regained his self-command let her live then he said since you have it so much at heart but if i grant her life it shall only be on one condition which shall make her daily pray for her death let a box be built for her at the door of the principal mosque and let the window of the box be always open there she shall sit in the corset clothes and every musselman who enters the mosque shall spit in her face in passing anyone that refuses to obey shall be exposed to the same punishment himself you vizier will see that my orders are carried out the grand vizier saw that it was useless to say more and full of triumph the sisters watched the building of the box and then listened to the jeers of the people at the helpless sultan sitting inside but the poor lady bore herself with so much dignity and meekness that it was not long before she had won the sympathy of those that were best among the crowd but it is now time to return to the fate of the third baby this time a princess like its brothers it was found by the intendant of the gardens and adopted by him and his wife and all three were brought up with a greatest care and tenderness as the children grew older their beauty and air of distinction became more and more marked and their manners had all the grace and ease that is proper to people of high birth the princes had been named by their foster father Baman and Purvis after two of the ancient kings of Persia while the princess was called Parizad or the child of the genii the intendant was careful to bring them up as a as befitted their real rank and soon appointed a tutor to teach the young princes how to read and write and the princess determined not to be left behind showed herself so anxious to learn with her brothers that the intendant consented to her joining in their lessons and it was not long before she knew as much as they did from that time all their studies were done in common they had the best masters for the fine arts geography poetry history and science and even for sciences which are learned by few and every branch seemed so easy to them that their teachers were astonished at the progress they made the princess had a passion for music and could sing and play upon all sorts of instruments she could also ride and drive as well as her brothers shoot with a bow and arrow and throw a javelin with the same skill as they and sometimes even better in order to set off these accomplishments the intendant resolved that his foster children should not be pent up any longer in the narrow borders of the palace gardens where he had always lived so he bought a splendid country house a few miles from the capital surrounded by an immense park this park he filled with wild beasts of various sorts so that the princes and the princess might hunt as much as they pleased when everything was ready the intendant threw himself at the sultan's feet and after referring to his age and his long services begged his highness's permission to resign his post this was granted by the sultan in a few gracious words and he then inquired what reward he could give his faithful servant but the intendant declared that he wished for nothing except the continuance of his highness's favor and prostrating himself once more he retired from the sultan's presence five or six months passed away in the pleasures of the country when death attacked the intendant so suddenly that he had no time to reveal the secret of their birth to his adopted children and as his wife had long been dead also it seemed as if the princes and the princess would never know that they had been born to a higher station than the one they filled their sorrow for their father was very deep and they lived quietly on in their new home without feeling any desire to leave it for court gayities or intrigues one day the princes as usual went out to hunt but their sister remained alone in her apartments while they were gone an old muslim devotee appeared at the door and asked leave to enter as it was the hour of prayer the princess sent orders at once that the old woman was to be taken to the private oratory in the grounds and when she had finished her prayers was to be shown the house and gardens and then to be brought before her although the old woman was very pious she was not at all indifferent to the magnificence of all around her which she seemed to understand as well as to admire and when she had seen it all she was led by the servants before the princess who was seated in a room which surpassed in splendor all the rest my good woman said the princess pointing to a sofa come and sit beside me i am delighted at the opportunity of speaking for a few moments with so her holy a person the old woman made some objections to so much honor being done her but the princess refused to listen and insisted that her guest should take the best seat and as she thought she must be tired ordered refreshments while the old woman was eating the princess put several questions to her as to her motive life and the pious exercises she practiced and then inquired what she thought of the house now that she had seen it madam replied the pilgrim one must be hard indeed to please to find any fault it is beautiful comfortable and well ordered and it is impossible to imagine anything more lovely than the garden but since you ask me i must confess that it lacks three things to make it absolutely perfect and what can they be cried the princess only tell me and i will lose no time in getting them the three things madam replied the old woman are first the talking bird whose voice draws all other singing birds to it to join in chorus and second the singing tree where every leaf is a song that is never silent and lastly the golden water of which it is only needful to pour a single drop into a basin for it to shoot up into a fountain which will never be exhausted nor will the basin ever overflow oh how can i thank you cried the princess for telling me of such treasures but add i pray you to your goodness by further informing me where i can find them madam replied the pilgrim i should ill repay the hospitality you have shown me if i refused to answer your question the three things of which i have spoken are all to be found in one place on the borders of this kingdom towards india your messenger has only to follow the road that passes by your house for 20 days and at the end of that time he is to ask the first person he meets for the talking bird the singing tree and the golden water she then arose and bidding farewell to the princess went her way the old woman had taken her departure so abruptly that the princess paris odd did not perceive till she was really gone that the directions were hardly clear enough to enable the search to be successful and she was still thinking of the subject and how delightful it would be to possess such rarities when the princess her brothers returned from the chase what is the matter my sister asked prince baman why are you so grave are you ill or has anything happened princess paris odd did not answer directly but at length she raised her eyes and replied that there was nothing wrong but there must be something persisted prince baman for you to have changed so much during the short time we have been absent hide nothing from us i beseech you unless you wish us to believe that the confidence we have always had in one another is now to cease when i said that it was nothing said the princess moved by his words i meant that it was nothing that affected you although i admit that it is certainly of some importance to me like myself you have always thought this house that our father built for us was perfect in every respect but only today i have learned that three things are still lacking to complete it these are the talking bird the singing tree and the golden water after explaining the peculiar qualities of each the princess continued it was a muslim devotee who told me all this and where they might all be found perhaps you will think that the house is beautiful enough as it is and that we can do quite well without them but in this i cannot agree with you and i shall never be content until i have got them so counsel me i pray whom to send on the undertaking my dear sister replied prince baman that you should care about the matter is quite enough even if we took no interest in it ourselves we both feel with you and i claim as the elder the right to make the first attempt if you will tell me where i am to go and what steps i am to take prince pervise at first objected that being the head of the family his brother ought not to be allowed to expose himself to danger but prince baman would hear nothing and retired to make the needful preparations for his journey the next morning prince baman got up very early and after bidding farewell to his brother and sister mounted his horse but just as he was about to touch it with his whip he was stopped by a cry from the princess oh perhaps after all you may never come back one never can tell what accidents may happen give it up i implore you for i would a thousand times rather lose the talking bird and the singing tree in the golden water than that you should run into danger my dear sister answered the prince accidents only happen to unlucky people and i hope that i am not one of them but as everything is uncertain i promise you to be very careful take this knife he continued handing her one that hung sheathed from his belt and every now and then draw it out and look at it as long as it keeps bright and clean as it is today you will know that i am living but if the blade is spotted with blood it will be a sign that i am dead and you shall weep for me so saying prince baman bade them farewell once more and started on the high road well mounted and fully armed for 20 days he rode straight on turning neither to the right hand nor to the left till he found himself drawing near the frontiers of persia seated under a tree by the wayside he noticed a hideous old man with a long white moustache and beard that almost fell to his feet his nails had grown to an enormous length and on his head he wore a huge hat which served him for an umbrella end of chapter 38 recording by dale tussan arizona chapter 39 of the arabian knights entertainments this is a libra vox recording all libra vox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libra vox dot org recording by dale the arabian knights entertainments by andrew lang chapter 39 prince baman who remembering the directions of the old woman had been since sunrise on the lookout for someone recognized the old man it wants to be a dervish he dismounted from his horse and bowed low before the holy man saying by way of a greeting my father may your days be long in the land and may all your wishes be fulfilled the dervish did his best to reply but his moustache was so thick that his words were hardly intelligible and the prince perceiving what was the matter took a pair of scissors from his saddle pockets and requested permission to cut off some of the moustache as he had a question of great importance to ask the dervish the dervish made a sign that he might do as he liked and when a few inches of his hair and beard had been pruned all around the prince assured the holy man that he would hardly believe how much younger he looked the dervish smiled at his compliments and thanked him for what he had done let me show you my gratitude for making me more comfortable by telling me what i can do for you gentle dervish replied prince beman i come from far and i seek the talking bird the singing tree and the golden water i know that they are to be found somewhere in these parts but i am ignorant of the exact spot tell me i pray you if you can so that i may not have traveled on a useless quest while he was speaking the prince observed a change in the countenance of the dervish who waited for some time before he made reply my lord he said at last i do know the road for which you ask but your kindness and the friendship i have conceived for you make me loathe to point it out but why not inquired the prince what danger can there be the very greatest danger answered the dervish other men as brave as you have ridden down this road and have put me that question i did my best to turn them also from their purpose but it was of no use not one of them would listen to my words and not one of them came back be warned in time and seek to go no further i am grateful to you for your interest in me said prince beman and for the advice you have given though i cannot follow it but what dangers can there be in the adventure which courage and a good sword cannot meet and suppose answered the dervish that your enemies are invisible how then nothing will make me give it up replied the prince and for the last time i ask you to tell me where i am to go when the dervish saw that the prince's mind was made up he drew a ball from a bag that lay near him and held it out if it must be so he said with a sigh take this and when you have mounted your horse throw the ball in front of you it will roll on till it reaches the foot of a mountain and when it stops you will stop also you will then throw the bridle on your horse's neck without any fear of his straying and will dismount on each side you will see vast heaps of big black stones and will hear a multitude of insulting voices but pay no heed to them and above all beware of ever turning your head if you do you will instantly become a black stone like the rest for those stones are in reality men like yourself who have been on the same quest and have failed as i fear that you may fail also if you manage to avoid this pitfall and to reach the top of the mountain you will find there the talking bird in a splendid cage and you can ask of him where you are to seek the singing tree and the golden water that is all i have to say you know what you have to do and what to avoid but if you are wise you will think of it no more but return once you have come the prince smilingly shook his head and thanking the dervish once more he sprang on his horse and threw the ball before him the ball rolled along the road so fast the prince baman had much difficulty in keeping up with it and it never relaxed its speed till the foot of the mountain was reached then it came to a sudden halt and the prince at once got down and flung the bridle on his horse's neck he paused for a moment and looked round him at the masses of black stones with which the sides of the mountain were covered and then began resolutely to ascend he had hardly gone four steps when he heard the sound of voices around him although not another creature was in sight who is this imbecile cried some stop him at once kill him shrieked others help robbers murderers help help oh let him alone sneered another and this was the most trying of all he is such a beautiful young man i am sure the bird and the cage must have been kept for him at first the prince took no heed at all to this clamour but continued to press forward on his way unfortunately this conduct instead of silencing the voices only seemed to irritate them the more and they arose with redoubled fury in front as well as behind after some time he grew bewildered his knees began to tremble and finding himself in the act of falling he forgot altogether the advice of the dervish he turned to fly down the mountain and in one moment became a black stone as may be imagined prince pervise and his sister were all this time in the greatest anxiety and consulted the magic knife not once but many times a day hitherto the blade had remained bright and spotless but on the fatal hour on which prince beman and his horse were changed into black stones large drops of blood appeared on the surface oh my beloved brother cried the princess in horror throwing the knife from her i shall never see you again and it is i who have killed you full that i was to listen to the voice of that temptress who probably was not speaking the truth what are the talking bird and the singing tree to me in comparison with you passionately though i long for them prince pervise's grief at his brother's loss was not less than that of princess parisad but he did not waste his time on useless lamentations my sister why should you think the old woman was deceiving you about these treasures and what would have been her object in doing so no no our brother must have must have met his death by some accident or want a precaution and tomorrow i will start on the same quest terrified at the thought that she might lose her only remaining brother the princess and treated him to give up his project but he remained firm before setting out however he gave her a chaplet of a hundred pearls and said when i am absent tell this over daily for me but if you should find that the beads stick so that they will not slip one after the other you will know that my brother's fate has befalling me still we must hope for better luck then he departed and on the 20th day of his journey fell in with the dervish on the same spot as prince baman had met him and began to question him as to the place where the talking bird the singing tree and the golden water were to be found as in the case of his brother the dervish tried to make him give up his project and even told him that only a few weeks since a young man bearing a strong resemblance to himself had passed that way but had never come back again that holy dervish replied prince pervise was my elder brother who is now dead though how he died i cannot say he has changed into a black stone answered the dervish like all the rest who have gone on the same errand and you will become one likewise if you are not more careful in following my directions then he charged the prince as he valued his life to take no heed of the clamour of voices that would pursue him of the mountain and handing him a ball from the bag which still seemed to be half full he sent him on his way when prince pervise reached the foot of the mountain he jumped from his horse and paused for a moment to recall the instructions the dervish had given him then he strolled boldly on but had scarcely gone five or six paces when he was startled by a man's voice that seemed closer to his ear exclaiming stop rash fellow and let me punish your audacity this outrage entirely put the dervish's advice out of the prince's head he drew his sword and turned to avenge himself but almost before he had realized that there was nobody there he and his horse were two black stones not a morning had passed since prince pervise had ridden away without princess parisade telling her beads and at night she even hung them round her neck so that if she woke she could assure herself at once of her brother's safety she was in the very act of moving them through her fingers at the moment that the prince fell a victim to his impatience and her heart sank when the first pearl remained fixed in its place however she had long made up her mind what she would do in such a case and the following morning the princess disguised as a man set out for the mountain as she had been accustomed to riding from her childhood she managed to travel as many miles daily as her brothers had done and it was as before on the twentieth day that she arrived at the place where the dervish was sitting good dervish she said politely will you allow me to rest by you for a few moments and perhaps you will be so kind as to tell me if you have ever heard of a talking bird a singing tree and some golden water that are to be found somewhere near this madame replied the dervish for in spite of your manly dress your voice betrays you i shall be proud to serve you in any way i can but may i ask the purpose of your question good dervish answered the princess i have heard such glowing descriptions of these three things that i cannot rest till i possess them madame said the dervish they are far more beautiful than any description but you seem ignorant of all the difficulties that stand in your way or you would hardly have undertaken such an adventure give it up i pray you and return home and do not ask me to help you to a cruel death holy father answered the princess i come from far and i should be in despair if i turned back without having attained my object you have spoken of difficulties tell me i entreat you what they are so that i may know if i can overcome them or see if they were beyond my strength so the dervish repeated his tale and dwelped more firmly than before on the clamour of the voices the horrors of the black stones which were once living men and the difficulties of climbing the mountain and pointed out that the chief means of success was never to look behind till you had the cage in your grasp as far as i can see said the princess the first thing is not to mind the tumult of the voices that follow you till you reach the cage and then never to look behind as to this i think i have enough self-control to look straight before me but as it is quite possible that i might be frightened by the voices as even the boldest men have been i will stop up my ears with cotton so that let them make as much noise as they like i shall hear nothing madam cried the dervish out of all the number who have asked me the way to the mountain you are the first who has ever suggested such a means of escaping the danger it is possible that you may succeed but all the same the risk is great good dervish answered the princess i feel in my heart that i shall succeed and it only remains for me to ask you the way i am to go then the dervish saw that it would be useless to say more and he gave her the ball which she flung before her the first thing the princess did on arriving at the mountain was to stop her ears with cotton and then making up her mind which was the best way to go she began her ascent in spite of the cotton some echoes of the voices reached her ears but not so as to trouble her indeed though they grew louder and more insulting the higher she climbed the princess only laughed and said to herself that she certainly would not let a few rough words stand between her and the goal at last she perceived in the distance the cage and the bird whose voice joined itself in tones of thunder to those of the rest return return never dare to come near me at the side of the bird the princess hastened her steps and without vexing herself at the noise which by this time had grown deafening she walked straight up to the cage and seizing it she said now my bird i have got you and i shall take good care that you do not escape as she spoke she took the cotton from her ears for it was needed no longer brave lady answered the bird do not blame me for having joined my voice to those who did their best to preserve my freedom although confined in a cage i was content with my lot but if i must become a slave i could not wish for a nobler mistress than one who has shown so much constancy and from this moment i swear to serve you faithfully someday you will put me to the proof for i know who you are better than you do yourself meanwhile tell me what i can do and i will obey you bird replied the princess who was filled with a joy that seems strange to herself when she thought that the bird had cost her the lives of both her brothers bird let me first thank you for your good will and then let me ask you where the golden water is to be found the bird described the place which was not far distant and the princess filled a small silver flask that she had brought with her for the purpose she then returned to the cage and said bird there is still something else where shall i find the singing tree behind you in that wood replied the bird and the princess wandered through the wood until a sound of the sweetest voices told her she had found what she sought but the tree was tall and strong and it was hopeless to think of uprooting it you need not do that said the bird when she had returned to ask counsel break off a twig and plant it in your garden and it will take root and root grow into a magnificent tree when the princess parisade held in her hands the three wonders promised her by the old woman she said to the bird all that is not enough it was owing to you that my brothers became black stones i cannot tell them from the mass of others but you must know and point them out to me i beg you for i wish to carry them away for some reason that the princess could not guess these words seem to displease the bird and he did not answer the princess waited a moment and then continued in severe tones have you forgotten that you yourself said that you are my slave to do my bidding and also that your life is in my power no i have not forgotten replied the bird but what you ask is very difficult however i will do my best if you look around he went on you will see a picture standing near take it and as you go down the mountain scatter a little of the water it contains over every black stone and you will soon find your two brothers princess parisade took the picture and carrying with her besides the cage the twig and the flask returned down the mountainside at every black stone she stopped and sprinkled it with water and as the water touched it the stone instantly became a man when she suddenly saw her brothers before her her delight was mixed with astonishment why what are you doing here she cried we have been asleep they said yes return the princess but without me your sleep would probably have lasted till the day of judgment have you forgotten that you came here in search of the talking bird the singing tree and the golden water and the black stones that were heaped up along the road look round and see if there is one left these gentlemen and yourselves and all your horses were changed into these stones and i have delivered you by sprinkling you with water from this picture as i could not return home without you even though i had gained the prizes on which i had set my heart i forced the talking bird to tell me how to break the spell on hearing these words prince baman and prince perviz understood all they owed their sister and the knights who stood by declared themselves her slaves and ready to carry out her wishes but the princess while thanking them for their politeness explained that she wished for no company but that of her brothers and that the rest were free to go where they should so so saying the princess mounted her horse and declining on to allow even prince baman to carry the cage with the talking bird she entrusted him with the branch of the singing tree while prince perviz took care of the flask containing the golden water then they rode away followed by the knights and gentlemen who begged to be permitted to escort them it had been the intention of the party to stop and tell their adventures to the dervish but they found to their sorrow that he was dead whether from old age or whether from the feeling that his task was done they never knew as they continued their road their numbers grew daily smaller for the knights turned off one by one to their own homes and only the brothers and sister finally drew up the gate of the palace the princess carried the cage straight into the garden and as soon as the bird began to sing nightingales larks thrushes finches and all sorts of other birds mingled their voices in chorus the branch she planted in a corner near the house and a few days it had grown into a great tree as for the golden water it was poured into a great marble basin specially prepared for it and it swelled and bubbled and then shot up into the air in a fountain twenty feet high the fame of these wonders soon spread abroad and people came from far and near to see and admire after a few days prince baman and prince perviz fell back into their ordinary way of life and passed most of their time hunting one day it happened that the sultan of persia was also hunting in the same direction and not wishing to interfere with his sport the young men on hearing the noise of the hunt approaching prepared to retire but as luck would have it they turned into the very path down which the sultan was coming they threw themselves from their horses and prostrated themselves to the earth but the sultan was curious to see their faces and commanded them to rise end of chapter 39 recording by dale tussan arizona chapter 40 of the arabian night's entertainments this is a libra vox recording all libra vox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libra vox dot org recording by dale the arabian night's entertainments by andrew lang chapter 40 the princess stood up respectfully but quiet at their ease and the sultan looked at them for a few moments without speaking then he asked who they were and where they lived sire replied prince baman we are sons of your highness's late intendant of the gardens and we live in a house that he built a short time before his death waiting till an occasion should offer itself to serve your highness you seem fond of hunting answered the sultan sire replied prince brahman it is our usual exercise and one that should be neglected by no man who expects to comply with the ancient customs of the kingdom and bear arms the sultan was delighted with this remark and said it once in that case i shall take great pleasure in watching you come choose what sort of beasts you would like to hunt the princess jumped on their horses and followed the sultan at a little distance they had not gone very far before they saw a number of wild animals appear at once and prince baman started to give chase to a lion and prince pervise to a bear both used their javelins with such skill that directly they arrived within striking range the lion and the bear fell pierced through and through then prince pervise pursued a lion and prince baman a bear and in a very few minutes they too lay dead as they were making ready for a third assault the sultan interfered and sending one of his officials to summon them he said smiling if i let you go on there will soon be no beast left to hunt besides your courage and manners have so won my heart that i will not have you expose yourselves to further danger i am convinced that someday or other i shall find you useful as well as agreeable he then gave them a warm invitation to stay with him all together but with many thanks for the honor done them they begged to be excused and to be suffered to remain at home the sultan who was not accustomed to see his offers rejected inquired their reasons and prince baman explained that they did not wish to leave their sister and were accustomed to do nothing without consulting all three together ask her advice then replied the sultan and tomorrow come and hunt with me and give me your answer the two princes returned home but their adventure made so little impression on them that they quite forgot to speak to their sister on the subject the next morning when they went to hunt they met the sultan in the same place and he inquired what advice their sister had given the young men looked at each other and blushed at last prince baman said sire we must throw ourselves on your highness's mercy neither my brother nor myself remembered anything about it then be sure you do not forget today answered the sultan and bring me back your reply tomorrow when however the same thing happened a second time they feared that the sultan might be angry with them for their carelessness but he took it in good part and drawing the three little golden balls from his purse he held them out to prince baman saying put these in your bosom and you will not forget a third time for when you remove your girdle tonight the noise they will make in falling will remind you of my wishes it all happened as the sultan had foreseen and the two brothers appeared in their sister's apartments just as she was in the act of stepping into bed and told their tale the princess parzade was much disturbed at the news and did not conceal her feelings your meeting with the sultan is very honorable to you and will I dare say be of service to you but it places me in a very awkward position it is on my account I know that you have resisted the sultan's wishes and I am very grateful to you for it but kings do not like to have their offers refused and in time he would bear a grudge against you which would render me very unhappy consult the talking bird who is wise and far-seeing and let me hear what he says so the bird was sent for in the case laid before him the princess must on no account refuse the sultan's proposal said he and they must even invite him to come and see your home but bird objected the princess you know how dearly we love each other will not all this spoil our friendship not at all replied the bird it will make it all the closer then the sultan will have to see me said the princess the bird answered that it was necessary that he should see her and everything would turn out for the best the following morning when the sultan inquired if they had spoken to their sister and what advice she had given them prince beman replied that they were ready to agree to his highness's wishes and that their sister had reproved them for their hesitation about the manner the sultan received their excuses with great kindness and told him that he was sure they would be equally faithful to him and kept them by his side for the rest of the day to the vexation of the grand vizier and the rest of the court when the procession entered in this order the gates of the capital the eyes of the people who crowded the streets were fixed on the two young men strangers to everyone oh if only the sultan had sons like that they murmured they look so distinguished and are about the same age that his sons would have been the sultan commanded that splendid apartments should be prepared for the two brothers and even insisted that they should sit at table with him during dinner he led the conversation to various scientific subjects and also to history of which he was especially fond but whatever topic they might be discussing he found that the views of the young men were always worth listening to if they were my own sons he said to himself they could not be better educated and allowed he complimented them on their learning and taste for knowledge at the end of the evening the princes once more prostrated themselves before the throne and asked leave to return home and then encouraged by the gracious words of farewell uttered by the sultan prince beman said sire may we dare to take the liberty of asking whether you would do us and our sister the honor of resting for a few minutes at our house the first time the hunt passes that way with the utmost pleasure replied the sultan and as I am all impatient to see the sister of such accomplished young men you may expect me the day after tomorrow the princess was of course most anxious to entertain the sultan in a fitting way but as she had no experience in court customs she ran to the talking bird and begged he would advise her as to what dishes should be served my dear mistress replied the bird your cooks are very good and you can safely leave all to them accept that you must be careful to have a dish of cucumbers stuffed with pearl sauce served with the first course cucumbers stuffed with pearls exclaimed the princess why bird who ever heard of such a dish the sultan will expect a dinner he can eat not one that he can only admire besides if I were to use all the pearls I possess they would not half be enough mistress replied the bird and do what I tell you and nothing but good will come of it and as to the pearls if you go at dawn tomorrow and dig at the foot of the first tree in the park on the right hand you will find as many as you want the princess had faith in the bird who generally proved to be right and taking the gardener with her early next morning followed out his directions carefully after digging for some time they came upon a golden box fastened with little clasps these were easily undone and the box was found to be full of pearls not very large ones but well shaped and of good color so leaving the gardener to fill up the hole he had made under the tree the princess took up the box and returned to the house the two princes had seen her go out and had wondered what could have made her rise so early full of curiosity they got up and dressed and met their sister as she was returning with the box under her arm what have you been doing they asked and did the gardener come to tell you he had found a treasure on the contrary replied the princess it is I who have found one and opening the box she showed her astonished brothers the pearls inside then on the way back to the palace she told them of her consultation with the bird and the advice it had given her all three tried to guess the meaning of the singular council but they were forced at last to admit the explanation was beyond them and they must be content blindly to obey the first thing the princess did on entering the palace was to send for the head cook and to order the repast for the sultan when she had finished she suddenly added besides the dishes I have mentioned there is one that you must prepare expressly for the sultan and that no one must touch but yourself it consists of a stuffed cucumber and the stuffing is to be made of these pearls the head cook who had never in all his experience heard of such a dish stepped back in amazement you think I am mad answered the princess who perceived what was in his mind but I know quite well what I am doing go and do your best and take the pearls with you the next morning the princes started for the forest and were soon joined by the sultan the hunt began and continued till midday when the heat became so great that they were obliged to leave off then as arranged they turned their horses heads toward the palace and while prince Baman remained by the side of the sultan prince pervise rode on to warn his sister of their approach the moment his highness entered the courtyard the princess flung herself at his feet but he bent and raised her and gazed at her for some time struck with her grace and beauty and also with the indefinable air of courts that seem to hang around this country girl they are all worthy one of the other he said to himself and I am not surprised that they think so much of her opinions I must know more of them by this time the princess had recovered from the first embarrassment of meeting and proceeded to make her speech of welcome this is only a simple country house sire suitable to people like ourselves who live a quiet life it cannot compare with the great city mansions much less of course with the smallest of the sultan's palaces I cannot quite agree with you he replied even the little that I have seen I admire greatly and I will reserve my judgment until you have shown me the whole the princess then led the way from room to room and the sultan examined everything carefully do you call this a simple country house he said at last why if every country house was like this the towns would soon be deserted I am no longer astonished that you do not wish to leave it let us go into the gardens which I am sure are no less beautiful than the rooms a small door opened straight into the garden and the first object that met the sultan's eyes was the golden water what lovely colored water he exclaimed where is the spring and how do you make the fountain rise so high I do not believe there is anything like it in the world he went forward to examine it and when he had satisfied his curiosity the princess conducted him towards the singing tree as they drew near the sultan was startled by the sound of strange voices but could see nothing where have you hidden your music musicians he asked the princess are they up in the air or under the earth surely the owners of such charming voices ought not to conceal themselves sire answered the princess the voices all come from the tree which is straight in front of us and if you will deign to advance a few steps you will see that they become clearer the sultan did as he was told and was so wrapped in delight at what he heard that he stood some time in silence tell me madam I pray you he said at last how this marvelous tree came into your garden it must have been brought from a great distance or else fond as I am of all curiosities I could not have missed hearing of it what is its name the only name it has sire replied she is the singing tree and it is not a native of this country its history is mixed up with those of the golden water and the talking bird which you have not yet seen if your highness wishes I will tell you the whole story when you have recovered from your fatigue indeed madam returned he you show me so many wonders that it is impossible to feel any fatigue let us go at once more and look at the golden water and I'm dying to see the talking bird the sultan could hardly tear himself away from the golden water which puzzled him more and more you say he observed the princess that this water does not come from any spring neither is brought by pipes all I understand is that neither it nor the singing tree is a native of this country it is as you say sire answered the princess and if you examine the basin you will see that it is all in one piece and therefore the water could not have been brought through it what is more astonishing is that I only emptied a small flask full into the basin and it increased to the quantity you see now well I will look at it no more today take me to the talking bird on approaching the house the sultan noticed a vast quantity of birds whose voices filled the air and he inquired why there they were so much more numerous here than in any other part of the garden sire answered the princess do you see that cage hanging in one of the windows of the saloon that is the talking bird whose voice you can hear above them all even above that of the nightingale and the birds crowd to this spot to add their songs to his the sultan stepped through the window but the bird took no notice continuing his song as before my slave said the princess this is the sultan make him a pretty speech the bird stopped singing at once and all the other birds stopped too the sultan is welcome he said I wish him long life and all prosperity I thank you good bird answered the sultan seating himself before the repast which was spread at a table near the window I am enchanted to see in you the sultan and king of the birds the sultan noticing that his favorite dish of cucumber was placed before him proceeded to help himself to it and was amazed too and that the stuffing was of pearls a novelty indeed cried he but I do not understand the reason of it one cannot eat pearls sire replied the bird before either the princess or the princess could speak surely your highness cannot be so surprised at beholding a cucumber stuffed with pearls when you believed without any difficulty that the sultana had presented you instead of children with a dog a cat and a log of wood I believed it answered the sultan because the women attending on her told me so the women sire said the bird were the sisters of the sultana who were devoured with jealousy at the honor you had done her and in order to revenge themselves invented this story have them examined and they will confess their crime these are your children who were saved from death by the intendant of your gardens and brought up by him as if they were his own like a flash the truth came to the mind of the sultan bird he cried my heart tells me that what you say is true my children he added let me embrace you and embrace each other not only as brothers and sister but as having in you the blood royal of persia which could flow in no nobler veins when the first moments of emotion were over the sultan hastened to finish his repast and then turning to his children he exclaimed today you have made acquaintance with your father tomorrow I will bring you the sultana your mother be ready to receive her the sultan then mounted his horse and rode quickly back to the capital without an instant's delay he sent for the grand vizier and ordered him to seize and question the sultana's sisters that very day this was done they were confronted with each other and proved guilty and were executed in less than an hour but the sultan did not wait to hear that his orders had been carried out before going on foot followed by his whole court to the door of the great mosque and drawing the sultana with his own hand out of the narrow prison where she had spent so many years madam he cried embracing her with tears in his eyes I have come to ask your pardon for the injustice I have done you and to repair it as far as I may I have already begun by punishing the authors of this abominable crime and I hope you will forgive me when I introduce you to our children who are the most charming and accomplished creatures in the whole world come with me and take back your position and all the honor that is due to you this speech was delivered in the presence of a vast multitude of people who had gathered from all parts on the first hint of what was happening and the news was passed from mouth to mouth in a few seconds early next day the sultan and sultana dressed in robes of state and followed by all the court set out for the country house of their children here the sultan presented them to the sultana one by one and for some time there was nothing but embraces and tears and tender words then they ate of the magnificent dinner which had been prepared for them and after they were all refreshed they went into the garden where the sultan pointed out to his wife the golden water and the singing tree as to the talking bird she had already made acquaintance with him in the evening they rode together back to the capital the princes on each side of their father and the princess with her mother long before they reached the gates the way was lined with people and the air filled with shouts of welcome with which were mingled the songs of the talking bird sitting in its cage on the lap of the princess and of the birds who followed it in this manner they came back to their father's palace end of chapter 40 recording by dale to san arizona end of the arabian night's entertainments by andrew lang