Page:Researches respecting the Book of Sindibad and Portuguese Folk-Tales.djvu/38

 16 you seen a girl, with a young man, on this road?" The old man replied—

The father, annoyed at the answer, turned back towards home. The witch had scarcely caught sight of him when she asked, "Well, did you meet with Guiomar?" "No, I did not; I met an old man with a sack on his back, and I asked him if he had seen a girl with a young man pass that way; and he replied to my inquiries thus—

and, feeling much annoyed at the stupid answer, I came away." The witch then said, "Lo! catch her, for it was Guiomar you saw!" And she hurried him back in pursuit of the girl, telling him that should he find the old man again with the sack on his back, to lay hold of him, for it was no other than Guiomar. The father renewed his pursuit; and when the girl saw him she said to the prince, "Let my lad be turned into a hermitage, and I into a hermit." When the father arrived at the spot, he asked, "Oh, my good uncle, did you happen to see a girl with a young man on this road?" The hermit replied—

"I am not inquiring for this," said the father; "but I wanted to know if your reverence has seen on this road a girl