Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 22, 1911.djvu/94

 68 Collectanea.

Sheda ? " Then she {Sheda) said, — " My teeth are aching." She was hiding her beak. Then the Kajerini said, — " Come, Sheda, when you first came I knew your beak was not your own." Then he said, — "Now, you must stay in the house. You must not go out again until the feast is over." Everyone who came enquired saying (said), — "Where is the Shedaf" But they were told, — "Ah, she is not well." Thus it was, she did not go out again until the feast was over.

36. The Search for a Bride. (S. D.)

The son of the King of Egypt was going to the city of Medina to be married (to search for marriage). He went to a priest. The priest said, — " Go and seek a scholar who will escort you." Then he went and found a scholar, and brought him to the house. When night came, the scholar did not move about. He did not read at night. In the morning, he (King's son) went and told the priest. The priest said, — "Ah, you have not got a proper scholar." He said, — "Return and find another." So he went to the market again, and found another scholar, and said, — " Come and let us go to my house." Now, when evening came, food was made for them, and they ate. Then the scholar said the evening prayer. Then he said he was going inside the house until the next day. When he had entered the room he began reading. When dawn broke, the King's son went to the priest, and said, — " I have got a certain scholar." The priest said, — " Now you have a scholar." He (priest) said, — "Very well. Make haste and get off." Then the King's son said, — "Shall we go to-morrow?" The priest said, — "You shall go." When morning came, they saddled their horses and mounted and went outside the town, both they and their numerous households. They were going to search for a bride (marriage). They went out at the gate of the town. The scholar said, — " Will you not send back and find another horse to be led and to be kept apart ? " Then they went out and started on their journey. One led horse was brought behind. They started on their journey and came to the forest, when two Doves came and alighted (in the road). They had one eye (their eyes one). One Dove said, — "The King's son and the scholar are going to