Page:Researches respecting the Book of Sindibad and Portuguese Folk-Tales.djvu/58

 36 pleased at this, went to put his hands upon her; but at that very instant the dove transformed itself into a lovely maiden. The maiden felt very much ashamed at finding herself in the young man's hand. He then took her to the giant, who was very pleased to see her, and said, "Now, were the magician to die, my enchantment would cease!" Hardly had the maiden approached the giant, than many servants and maids appeared to wait upon her, and bringing many robes of the richest materials for her to wear. Yet the palace remained enchanted,

The young man's brothers, seeing that he did not return, said one day to their mother, "Oh! dear mother, we have never heard any news of our brother; it would be as well if one of us were to go and search for him." The mother replied, "Very well, let one of you go." The youngest of her sons went out in search because he was considered more sharp-witted. He travelled and journeyed on until he arrived at the same country where his brother had gone, and he inquired if any one could give him any information of a boy who had many months ago travelled to that country; but no one could give him any news. They told him that such a lad had gone as servant to a magician's house. He therefore went up to the house, knocked at the door, and the magician answered the call, who put to him the same questions that he had done to his brother, and took him at last into his service. At midnight, after having prepared everything, they started off, and on arriving at the mountain he ordered the boy to shoot at the horse's belly. The boy as he was very sharp-witted saw at once that there was some mystification in all this, and shot at the horse. The master placed the entrails of the horse into a bag and then ordered the boy to get into the horse's belly, and he began to read from the book. The horse began to ascend the mount until it reached the top, and once on the top of the mountain the magician asked the boy, "What do you see?" "I see much wealth," replied the lad. "Very well, then," said the