Page:Researches respecting the Book of Sindibad and Portuguese Folk-Tales.djvu/48

 26 to his own country; but the prince saw one of the princesses who had been disenchanted and fell in love with her.

He told Pedro that he wished to take her with him; they therefore proceeded on their journey, taking the princess with them. They were much fatigued after a time, and as they could not find a house where they could remain and rest Pedro told them that they could take shelter and pass the night in a shed which stood in a court-yard which he had discovered. The prince and princess accepted the offer very willingly, for they were very tired and travel-worn, and instead of lying down Pedro remained as sentry to keep watch, well armed to defend them. In the middle of the night he heard the witches on the top of the shed in fits of laughter, and he heard one of them say "What a foolish man he is! he thought that he was going to accompany the prince and princess home! . . . . but the first thing that will happen to the princess will be that she will find a handsome little mule, and she will take a great fancy to ride upon it. On her riding it, it will break down, and whoever shall hear this and repeat it shall be turned into marble." Another witch replied to this, "From this mishap she shall be delivered, but she will see a pear tree with very good pears upon it which she will desire much to taste; as she eats them she will be poisoned, but whoever shall hear this and shall repeat it into hard marble shall be turned!" To this one other witch replied, "From this danger she will be delivered, but she will come to a fine bridge, and she will desire to cross it; as she crosses it the bridge will break down, but whoever shall hear this and shall relate it, into hard marble will be converted!" At last to this the fourth witch replied, "Of this she shall be delivered, but on the night of their marriage I shall take the guise of a phantom, and I shall enter their room through the window and behead her as well as the prince, but whoever shall hear this and relate it shall inevitably be turned into hard marble." As she