Page:Fairy tales from the Arabian nights.djvu/310

 of a man behind him, say, in an insulting tone, 'Stay, rash youth, that I may punish you for your boldness.'

At this affront, the prince forgot the dervish's advice, clapped his hand upon his sword and drew it, and turned about to revenge himself; but scarcely had he had time to see that nobody followed him, when he and his horse were changed into black stones.

In the meantime the Princess Parizade strung over her chaplet several times a day; and when she had nothing else to do, she told the pearls over her fingers one after another. When she went to bed she put it about her neck, and in the morning when she awoke counted over the pearls again to see if they would slide.

The day that Prince Perviz was changed into a stone, she was pulling over the pearls as usual, when all of a sudden she could not stir them, and never doubted that it was a certain token that the prince, her brother, was dead. As she had determined beforehand what to do, in case it should so happen, she lost no time in outward show of grief, which she concealed as much as possible; but disguising herself in man's apparel, she mounted her horse the next morning, having told her servants she should return in two or three days, and took the road her brothers had done before her.

The princess, who was used to riding on horseback, supported the fatigue of so long a journey better than other ladies could have done; and as she made the same days' journey as her brothers, she also met the dervish on the twentieth day. When she came near him she alighted off her horse, and leading him by the bridle, she went and sat down by the dervish, and after she had saluted him, she said, 'Good dervish, give me leave to rest by you; and do me the favour to tell me if there are somewhere hereabouts a speaking bird, a singing tree, and golden water.'

'Madam,' answered the dervish, 'for so I must call you, since by your voice I know you to be a woman disguised in man's apparel, I thank you, and receive the honour you do me with great pleasure. I know very well the place where these things you speak of are to be found; but what makes you ask this question?'

'Good dervish,' replied the princess, 'I have a very great desire to possess them.'