orning to bathe in the lake. What can you
want with them?"

The Prince told the old woman that one of them was his love and that
unless he married her he would die.

"Die, indeed!" scoffed the old woman. "That's no way for a handsome
young man to talk! I'll tell you what you ought to do: give up thought
of this peafowl princess and marry my daughter. Then I'll make you heir
to all my riches."

She called out her daughter who was as ugly as herself and cross and
ill-natured in the bargain. Just one look at her and the Prince said
firmly:

"No! If I can't marry my own dear love I won't marry any one!"

"Very well!" said the old woman shortly.

When the Prince's back was turned she called the serving man aside and
whispered:

"Will you do what I tell you if I pay you well?"

The serving man who was a mean greedy fellow nodded his head and the old
woman handed him a small bellows.

"Hide this in your shirt," she told him, "and don't let your master see
it. Then to-morrow morning when you go down to the lake with him to see
the nine peafowl slip it out and blow it on the back of his neck. Do
this and I'll give you a golden ducat."

The serving man took the bellows and did as the old woman directed. The
next morning down at the lake just as the nine peafowl came flying into
sight he crept up behind the Prince and blew the bellows on the back of
his neck. Instantly sleep overcame the Prince. His eyes closed, his head
drooped, and the reins fell from his hands.

Eight of the peafowl alighted on the water's edge, changed into lovely
maidens and went bathing in the lake, but the ninth flew straight down
to the Prince, fluttered her wings in his face and uttering sad cries
tried hard to arouse him.

The eight finished their baths, changed back into birds, and calling
their sister they all flew off together. Then and not till then did the
Prince awaken.

"Ah!" he cried, "how could I have fallen asleep just when the peafowl
appeared? Where are they now? Are they gone?"

"Yes," his man told him, "they're gone. Eight of them changed into
lovely maidens and went bathing in the lake but the ninth fluttered
about your head and tried in every way to arouse you. I tried to arouse
you, too, but you kept on sleeping."

"Strange!" thought the Prince. "How could I have fallen asleep at such a
time? I'll have to try again to-morrow morning."

The next morning the same thing happened. The treacherous serving man
again blew