Page:Fairy tales from the Arabian nights.djvu/311

 'Madam,' replied the dervish, 'these things are even more singular and surprising than they have been represented to you; but you have not been told of the difficulties and dangers which must be surmounted in order to obtain them. Take my advice; go no further; return, and do not urge me to contribute towards your ruin.'

'Good father,' said the princess, 'I have come a long way, and should be sorry to return home without accomplishing my wish. You talk of difficulties and danger to my life, but you do not tell me what those difficulties are, and wherein the danger consists. This is what I desire to know, that I may consider it, and judge whether I can or cannot trust my courage and strength to undertake it.'

Then the dervish repeated to the Princess Parizade what he had said to the Princess Bahman and Perviz, of the difficulty of climbing to the top of the mountain, the noise and din of the terrible threatening voices which she would hear on all sides, without seeing anybody; and the great quantity of black stones, alone sufficient to strike terror into her and everyone else. He entreated her to reflect that those stones were many brave gentlemen, thus enchanted for omitting to observe the principal condition of success, which was not to look behind them before they had got possession of the cage.

When the dervish had done, the princess replied, 'From what I gather, the difficulty in this affair is, first, the getting up to the cage, without being frightened at the terrible din of voices; and, secondly, not looking behind. As to this last, I hope I shall be mistress enough of myself to observe it. As to the first, I own that such voices are capable of striking terror into the most undaunted; but as in all enterprises and dangers every one may use contrivances, I desire to know if I may make use of them.'

'And what do you here intend to do?' said the dervish.

'To stop my ears with cotton,' answered the princess, 'that however loud and terrible the voices may be, they may make less impression upon my imagination, and my mind remain free from the disturbance which might make me lose my reason.'

'Madam,' replied the dervish, 'of all the persons who have