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 told her, and took real pleasure in thinking of the satisfaction she would have, if she could get these wonderful things into her possession; but the difficulties she apprehended, and the fear of not succeeding, made her very uneasy.

She was lost in these thoughts, when her brothers returned from hunting; when they entered the great hall, instead of finding her lively and gay, as usual, were amazed to see her pensively hang down her head, as if something troubled her.

'Sister,' said Prince Bahman, 'are you not well? or has some misfortune befallen you? Has anybody given you reason to be so melancholy? Tell us, that we may know how to act, and give you relief. If anybody has affronted you, we will resent it.'

The Princess Parizade remained in the same posture for some time without answering, but at last lifted up her eyes to look at her brothers, and then dropped them again, saying that nothing disturbed her.

'Sister,' said Prince Bahman, 'you are concealing the truth from us; there must be something. It is impossible that during the short time we have been absent so sudden a change could take place if there was nothing the matter with you; do not conceal anything from us, unless you would have us believe that you renounce the friendship and union which have been between us from our infancy.'

The princess, who had not the smallest desire to quarrel with her brothers, would not suffer them to entertain such a thought, but said: 'When I told you nothing disturbed me, I meant nothing that was of any great importance to you. To me it is, and since you press me to tell you, I will. We always thought that this house, which our late father built for us, was complete in everything. But this day I have learned that it needs three things, which would render it so perfect that no country-seat in the world could be compared to it. These three things are the speaking bird, singing tree, and the yellow water.' Then she told them all about the visit of the religious woman. 'You,' she added, 'may think as you please, but I am persuaded that they are absolutely necessary, and I shall not be easy without them. There-