Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 21, 1910.djvu/552

 5IO Collectanea.

not returned. The Prince asked the hermit to keep the Nightin- gale for him while he went to find them.

He took the broad road and went till he reached a large city. He went to a baker's for something to eat. He saw his elder brother working there. He made himself known to him secretly, and taking him back with him left him with the hermit while he went to find his other brother.

He crossed the mountain. He came to a palace which shone like the sun. He dismounted, tied his horse, entered the park, and sat down on the bench. Then the great Arab rushed towards him, crying, — " Do you think that seat has no owner, that you seat yourself there ? " As he spoke, he raised his club to strike him, but the Prince was too quick for him. He snatched the club from the Arab's hand, and struck him, whereupon the fellow turned into a stone. The Prince said to himself, — " Some evil has befallen my brother here." He began hitting the round stones which were lying about on the ground, and each one became a man and fled in haste from the spot ; but he did not see his brother among them. Then he saw the stone under the bench ; he struck that also, and it proved to be his brother, who also started to run away. He cried after him, saying, — " Brother, do not run away ; I am your brother." His brother looked behind, and behold, it was so 1 The two brothers returned together to the hermit.

They took the Thousand-noted Nightingale, and the three brothers set out for home. On the way they were thirsty. They came to a well. They let the youngest brother down into the well to draw up water for them. They drank, but then they left their youngest brother in the well. The other two said to each other, — " If he be with us, with what face shall we go to our father." They took the Nightingale and went on.

When they reached home they said to their father, — "Our youngest brother was killed. We found the Thousand-noted Nightingale and brought it to you." They hung the Thousand- noted Nightingale in the church, and expected to hear it sing, but there was not a sound nor a breath from it.

The maiden, mounted upon her steed, reached the King, and asked, — " Who was that brave fellow that took away my Nightin-