Page:Researches respecting the Book of Sindibad and Portuguese Folk-Tales.djvu/128

 106 might desire to marry him. But there was not one single princess who would entertain the idea, and all of them, when they saw his portrait, used to exclaim, "What, I marry a prince who has the head of a horse? After a time we should have children who would be altogether horses!" The prince was very unhappy, seeing that he could not succeed in getting a wife, but those near him told him, to console him, not to despair for he would be certain to find one. The king after a time resolved to make a proclamation with sound of trumpet that any maiden, rich or poor, who should be willing to marry the prince would receive a good dowry, a handsome trousseau, and the jewels appertaining to a princess. Still no maiden came forward to offer herself; until at last, after much trouble, and when they had almost lost all hopes of finding one, a very poor girl, with very shabby clothes on, offered herself, who on account of her extreme poverty was willing to marry the prince. This maiden had three sisters who, the moment they knew their sister's intention, began to abuse her, and even to beat her, saying to her, "You have no shame in you. We are older than you are and are very poor, but we would not deign to marry a prince who had the head of a horse!" The maiden, however, paid no attention to their abuse and allowed them to say all they liked, and insisted upon marrying the prince. The maiden had hardly made up her mind to marry the prince when there appeared to her robes and everything necessary for a princess to wear; and at the same time a proclamation was issued in the capital declaring the approaching marriage of the prince in three days' time, that great rejoicings would take place and many festivities before the day, among which there would be held some races. The prince went each day to visit the maiden, and on the last day, when the cavalcade was passing the house, behind them all there came a very handsome knight, who rode most magnificently. When the whole suite had passed by, while the maiden's