Page:Researches respecting the Book of Sindibad and Portuguese Folk-Tales.djvu/106

 84 To this the prince, as before, made no reply, for he was fast asleep. The maid again left the chamber very early; but a valet who appeared to occupy an apartment next to the prince told him what he had heard repeated during the night. The prince was much astonished to hear it, and swore he would not take the usual draught next evening as he retired to rest. Next day the princess saw the maid again at her work before the palace, and as she remarked she had a golden reel she went to ask her for it. The maid replied that she would on condition that the favour she had begged for on the previous evening should be granted her once more. To this the princess said she consented, and sent the prince the usual draught to take that night. But the prince made only a pretence to drink it, and threw it away, and then ordered his valet to leave the chamber. During the night the little maid repeated—

The moment the prince heard her he felt very pleased, but the next moment he was much distressed in his mind because he remembered that he was already engaged to be married to the princess. He told the little maid to remain and not to leave his chamber. And when the marriage day arrived he asked the princess's father to settle a question for him, which was this: that his apartment had two keys; the first had been mislaid and lost, but he ever had hopes of finding it: now that he had a new key which he had ordered to be made, the old one had appeared—which ought he, he therefore asked his majesty to advise him, to keep? The king replied that in this case he advised him to retain the old one. The prince then recounted