ere you hiding?"

"Here I am!" And he told him the object of his journey, from beginning
to end.

The Dragon-emperor said to him, "You are running the greatest risk,
God help you! The day before yesterday Steelpacha flew past with your
wife. I was awaiting him with seven thousand dragons, but we could not
overcome him. I adjure you, let that fiend alone. I will give you
money to your heart's desire; just go quietly home."

But the Prince would not hear a word of this advice, and emphatically
declared that he would continue his journey on the morrow. When the
Emperor saw that he could not prevent him, nor induce him to turn
back, he drew a feather out of his wing and gave it to his
brother-in-law, with these words:

"Give good heed to what I now tell you. Take this feather of mine, and
if you come across Steelpacha and find yourself in great danger, then
burn my feather; that very moment I will come to your aid with the
whole strength of my army."

The Prince concealed the feather in a safe place and went his way. He
travelled on and on until he reached a second great city. Here again,
as he was going through the city, a woman called to him from a
balcony.

"Ho, there, you Prince, dismount from your horse and come into the
court!"

The Prince rode into the court. Behold, who comes to meet him? It is
his second sister! They rush into each other's arms and kiss each
other heartily. Then the sister led her brother into the castle.

When she had put the horse into the stable she asked the object of his
journey, and he told her the whole story of his adventures, finally
asking her, "And whom have you married, dear sister?"

She answered, "I am married to the Emperor of the Falcons. He will
come home to-night. But I must carefully conceal you, for he is
furious against my brothers." So saying, she concealed the Prince.

In a little while the Falcon-emperor came home, and the whole city
quaked with the tumult of his approach. Supper was served at once, but
not before he had cried to his wife, "I smell men's flesh!"

The wife answered, "What are you thinking of, husband?"

At last, after talking for some time of this thing and that, she asked
him, "Would you do any harm to my brothers if they were to come here?"

The Emperor said, "It would surely go hard with the eldest and the
second, but I would do nothing to the youngest." Then she told him of
her youngest brother's arrival.

The Falcon-emperor commanded hi