Page:The book of wonder voyages (1919).djvu/161

 like strung pearls, her neck like an ingot of silver, indeed, she was of surpassing beauty and symmetry.

And as Hasan stood watching them, forgetting meat and drink, the chief damsel said to her maidens: "O King's daughters, it grows late, our land is afar and we weary of this place. Come, then, let us depart to our own country." So they redonned their feathered raiment, and became birds as before; thus they flew away with the chief lady in their midst.

As for Hasan, he despaired of their return, and tears ran down his cheeks. Then he dragged himself down the stairs to his own chamber, where he lay sick, neither eating nor drinking, drowned in the sea of his solitude. And on the morrow he returned to the pavilion and watched for the birds until nightfall: but they came not. Again he dragged himself down the stairs to his chamber and wept and wailed the livelong night. Nor for him was there any rest: he neither ate, drank, nor slept: by day he was distracted, by night distressed with sleeplessness, drunken with melancholy thought and love-longing.

Now whilst he was in this distress of mind behold a cloud of dust arose from the desert, upon which he ran down to hide himself, knowing that it hailed the Princesses' return. Soon after the damsels arrived and put off their arms and war armor. The youngest stayed not to doff her weapons and gear, but went straight to Hasan's apartment. Not rinding him there she sought for him till she came upon him in one of the sleeping