Page:Researches respecting the Book of Sindibad and Portuguese Folk-Tales.djvu/125

 Rh and I mean to return." At night he also placed the lance between himself and wife on lying down, and next day, early in the morning, he departed with his lion to the "Tower of Death." When he had knocked at the gate the same old woman appeared who had killed his brother, and she also wrestled with him, after making him first secure the lion with one of her hairs. When he found himself hard pressed he called out for his lion, saying, "Come to my help quickly, my lion!" but the old hag rejoined instantly, "Thicken, oh, my hair!" and knocking the boy down to the ground she cut his head off and threw it in the same cave underground where his eldest brother's body had been cast, and she went into the tower again.

A whole year had passed, and the youngest brother, finding that his elder brothers did not return, asked his father leave to go in search of them. The father replied, "Then you wish, my son, to leave me and remain away, dead or alive, as your brothers have done before you!" but the boy replied, "Let me go, father, and I promise you that I shall come back to you in a year's time with my two brothers, and bring much wealth with me!" The father consented, and he took the same road as the other two brothers; and he arrived at the said tower. He married the same woman that his brothers had, and he asked her if she would give him any information respecting the two men who must have passed that same way one two years ago, and the other one year since. She replied that they had passed that way, and both had married her, and that on the following day each had in turn proceeded to the "Tower of Death," that who goes into it never returns alive, and thus had they remained there! When the youth heard this, he said resolutely, "Well, I also shall go, and I know that I shall surely return!" And having gone to rest that night with his lance lying on his bed ready by his side, he early next morning went on his way to the "Tower of Death," accompanied and protected by his lion. On arriving he knocked