Page:Researches respecting the Book of Sindibad and Portuguese Folk-Tales.djvu/36

 14.

There was once a witch, and she had a daughter called Guiomar, who was much attached to a certain prince. Her mother did not wish her to marry him, but the maiden told the prince to dress himself like a poor man, and some day, when her mother was not at home, to come begging, for she would open the door for him. The prince did as he was told, and the girl made him stand behind the door, and instructed him that when her mother came home he should say that he was a poor man, and to ask her to give him shelter for the night. When the witch returned home, she said, "I smell royal blood." "No, mother," said the girl, "it is a poor man who asks alms, and who would be glad to have shelter given him, as he has no place to go to." "Well, then, let him remain," replied the witch; "but he must present me to-morrow with a potful of guano of little birds." The prince, distressed to tears, asked the girl to tell him how he could possibly procure the guano. The girl, who knew something of witchcraft, replied, "Do not distress yourself about that, for I will show you how you are to do that." She then told him to go and place an earthenware pot at the foot of a certain great wall, which she indicated to him, and that he was to go at night for it, and he would find it full of little birds' guano; but she enjoined him very particularly not to mention to her mother what she had told him, as it was she who had instructed her. The prince did as the girl told him, and placed the earthenware pot at the foot of the wall, and at night he found the pot full of guano of little birds; and he then gave it to the mother. When the witch saw the pot, she said, "Ha! ha! ha! Guiomar has