Page:Fairy tales from the Arabian nights.djvu/298

 garden can be more delightful; but yet, if you will give me leave to speak my mind freely, I will take the liberty of saying that this house would be incomparable, if it had three things which are lacking in it.'

'My good mother,' replied the Princess Parizade, 'what are those three things? I implore you to tell me what they are: I will spare no trouble to get them, if possible.'

'Madam,' replied the devout woman, 'the first of these three things is the speaking bird called Bulbulkezer, which is so singular a creature that it can draw round it all the singing birds of the neighbourhood to accompany its song. The second is the singing tree, the leaves of which form a harmonious concert of different voices, and never cease. The third is the yellow water of gold colour, a single drop of which being poured into a vessel properly prepared, in whatever part of the garden, increases so as to fill it immediately, and rises up in the middle like a fountain, which continually plays, and yet the basin never overflows.'

'Ah! my good mother,' cried the princess, 'how much am I obliged to you for the knowledge of these things! I never before heard that there were such curious and wonderful things in the world; but as I am sure you know where they are, do me the favour to tell me.'

'Madam,' replied the good woman, 'I should be unworthy of your goodness if I refused to satisfy your curiosity on that point; and am glad to have the honour to tell you that these three things are to be met with in the same spot on the confines of this kingdom, towards India. The road to it lies before your house, and whoever you send need but follow it for twenty days, and on the twentieth let him ask but the first person he meets where the speaking bird, singing tree, and yellow water are, and he will be informed.' After these words, she rose, took leave, and went her way.

The Princess Parizade's thoughts were so taken up with what the religious woman had told her of the speaking bird, singing tree, and yellow water, that she never perceived she was gone, till she wanted to ask her another question. However, she would not send after her to fetch her back, but tried to remember all she had