rangest of presents, an arm cut from a dead man's
body.

When he entered the temple, he beheld the princess seated on her throne,
looking very beautiful in her royal robes, with her dark curls flowing
over her shoulders, and the golden vulture of Egypt spreading his wings
over her head. She looked a little pale and weary too, for she had talked
with many scores of suitors, all of whom had told her tales which were
very much alike and nothing at all to do with her father's
treasure-chamber. And when the princess looked up and saw Ladronius
standing there, with his bold, handsome face, and resolute eyes, she had a
suspicion that this was the robber of the treasury. At the same time she
felt some pity for the young man, whom she was to be the means of
punishing for his bravery. However, she could only obey her father, and
motioning to Ladronius to approach, she addressed him with great courtesy,
saying, "You seem, sir, by your bearing, to be a man of some strength and
courage. Tell me now, what is the most wicked thing, and what the
cleverest, you ever did in your life?"

And Ladronius looked her straight in the face and answered, "Most gracious
princess, the most wicked thing I ever did in my life was to cut off my
brother's head in His Majesty's treasure-house, and the cleverest was when
I made the sentinels drunk and carried off my brother's body."

Scarcely were the words out of his mouth, when the princess jumped up and
caught him, as she supposed, by the arm, at the same time crying out for
the guards, who were concealed behind the throne. But, to her dismay, the
arm seemed to part company with the rest of the body, and she was left
with the cloak of Ladronius and the arm of the dead man, while Ladronius
himself was out of the temple before she had recovered from her surprise;
nor could the guards find any trace of him outside.

The princess went back to her father in fear and trembling, and related
how Ladronius had escaped once more; but the king was so amazed at the
daring and skill of the young man, that he quite forgot to be angry.

The picture of the princess holding the arm that had no body attached to
it, and gazing blankly after the departing figure of Ladronius, so took
his fancy, that he lay back on his couch, and laughed till his sides
ached.

"Bast!" he cried at length. "If the youth is really as clever as this, I
would rather have him my friend than my enemy. Such a man should be
rewarded and not