Page:Turkish fairy tales and folk tales (1901).djvu/252

 somewhat with food, he laid his head in her lap and fell asleep. The daughter of the Emperor could not forbear from looking at him, and her eyes filled with tears as they feasted on his comeliness and beauty. Then her heart grew soft within her, and she could not help kissing him. But Aleodor, when he awoke, gave her a buffet with the palm of his hand that awoke the echoes.

"Nay but, my dear Aleodor!" cried she, "thou hast indeed a heavy hand."

"I have slapped thee," said he, "for the deed thou hast done, for I have not taken thee for myself, but for him who bade me seek thee."

"Good, my brother! but why didst thou not tell me so at home? for then I also would have known what to do. But let be now, for all that is past."

Then they set out again till they came alive and well to the Half-man-riding-on-the-worse-half-of-a-lame-horse.

"Lo, now! I have done my service," said Aleodor, and with that he would have departed. But when the girl beheld the monster, she shivered with disgust, and would not stay with him for a single moment. The hideous cripple drew near to the maiden, and began to caress her with honeyed words, that so she might go with him willingly. But the girl said to him: "Depart from me, Satan, and go to thy mother