Page:Fairy tales from the Arabian nights.djvu/409

 ladies said to me, 'You are doubtless wearied by the journey you have taken to-day; it is time for you to go to rest; your lodging is prepared.'

I was scarcely dressed the next morning when the ladies came in, all in different dresses from those they had on the day before; they bade me good-morrow, and inquired after my health. I continued a whole year among those forty ladies. When the year was ended I was strangely surprised that, instead of appearing with their usual cheerfulness, they entered one morning all in tears. They embraced me with great tenderness one after another, saying, 'Farewell, dear prince, farewell, for we must leave you.' Their tears affected me; I prayed them to tell me the reason of their grief and of the separation they spoke of. 'Fair ladies, let me know,' said I, 'if it be in my power to comfort you, or if my assistance can be in any way useful to you.' Instead of returning a direct answer, 'Ah,' said they, 'that we had never seen or known you! Several gentlemen have honoured us with their company before; but never one of them had that comeliness, that sweetness, that pleasantness of temper, and that merit which you possess; we know not how to live without you.' After they spoke these words they began to weep bitterly. 'My dear ladies,' said I, 'be so kind as not to keep me in suspense any longer; tell me the cause of your sorrow.'

'Alas,' said they, 'what but the necessity of parting from you could be capable of grieving us? It may happen that we shall never see you again; but if you are so minded, and possess sufficient self-control, it is not impossible for us to meet.'

'Ladies,' said I, 'I understand not your meaning; pray explain yourselves more clearly.'

'Then,' said one of them, 'we must tell you that we are all princesses, daughters of kings; we live here together, as you have seen. But at the end of every year we are obliged to be absent forty days upon indispensable duties, which we are not permitted to reveal, and afterwards we return again to this castle. Yesterday was the last day of the year, and we must leave you this day, which is the cause of our grief. Before we depart we will leave you the keys of everything, especially those belonging to the hundred