h, and after she had saluted him, said: "Good dervish, give me
leave to rest myself; and do me the favour to tell me if you have not
heard that there are somewhere in this neighbourhood a Talking Bird, a
Singing Tree, and Golden Water."

"Princess," answered the dervish, "for so I must call you, since by your
voice I know you to be a woman disguised in man's apparel, I know the
place well where these things are to be found; but what makes you ask me
this question?"

"Good dervish," replied the princess, "I have had such a flattering
relation of them given me, that I have a great desire to possess them."
"Madam," replied the dervish, "you have been told the truth. These
curiosities are more singular than they have been represented, but you
have not been made acquainted with the difficulties which must be
surmounted in order to obtain them. If you had been fully informed of
these, you would not have undertaken so dangerous an enterprise. Take my
advice, return, and do not urge me to contribute toward your ruin."

"Good father," said the princess, "I have travelled a great way, and
should be sorry to return without executing my design. You talk of
difficulties and danger of life, but you do not tell me what those
difficulties are, and wherein the danger consists. This is what I desire
to know, that I may consider and judge whether I can trust my courage
and strength to brave them."

The dervish repeated to the princess what he had said to the Princes
Bahman and Perviz, exaggerating the difficulties of climbing up to the
top of the mountain, where she was to make herself mistress of the Bird,
which would inform her of the Singing Tree and Golden Water. He
magnified the din of the terrible threatening voices which she would
hear on all sides of her, and the great number of black stones alone
sufficient to strike terror. He entreated her to reflect that those
stones were so many brave gentlemen, so metamorphosed for having omitted
to observe the principal condition of success in the perilous
undertaking, which was not to look behind them before they had got
possession of the cage.

When the dervish had done, the princess replied: "By what I comprehend
from your discourse, the difficulties of succeeding in this affair are,
first, the getting up to the cage without being frightened at the
terrible din of voices I shall hear; and, secondly, not to look behind
me. For this last, I hope I shall be mistress enough of myself to