ost pleasure," replied the Sultan; "and as I am all
impatience to see the sister of such accomplished young men you may
expect me the day after to-morrow."

The princess was of course most anxious to entertain the Sultan in a
fitting way, but as she had no experience in court customs she ran to
the Talking Bird, and begged he would advise her as to what dishes
should be served.

"My dear mistress," replied the bird, "your cooks are very good and you
can safely leave all to them, except that you must be careful to have a
dish of cucumbers, stuffed with pearl sauce, served with the first
course."

"Cucumbers stuffed with pearls!" exclaimed the princess. "Why, bird,
who ever heard of such a dish? The Sultan will expect a dinner he can
eat, and not one he can only admire! Besides, if I were to use all the
pearls I possess, they would not be half enough."

"Mistress," replied the bird, "do what I tell you and nothing but good
will come of it. And as to the pearls, if you go at dawn to-morrow and
dig at the foot of the first tree in the park, on the right hand, you
will find as many as you want."

The princess had faith in the bird, who generally proved to be right,
and taking the gardener with her early next morning followed out his
directions carefully. After digging for some time they came upon a
golden box fastened with little clasps.

These were easily undone, and the box was found to be full of pearls,
not very large ones, but well-shaped and of a good colour. So leaving
the gardener to fill up the hole he had made under the tree, the
princess took up the box and returned to the house.

The two princes had seen her go out, and had wondered what could have
made her rise so early. Full of curiosity they got up and dressed, and
met their sister as she was returning with the box under her arm.

"What have you been doing?" they asked, "and did the gardener come to
tell you he had found a treasure?"

"On the contrary," replied the princess, "it is I who have found one,"
and opening the box she showed her astonished brothers the pearls
inside. Then, on the way back to the palace, she told them of her
consultation with the bird, and the advice it had given her. All three
tried to guess the meaning of the singular counsel, but they were
forced at last to admit the explanation was beyond them, and they must
be content blindly to obey.

The first thing the princess did on entering the palace was to send for
t