es:

'"If at midnight the watches are wound with the key of gold and the key
of silver, they will resume their proper shapes during the first hour of
the day. They will always remain under the care of a woman, and will
come back to her wherever they may be. And the woman appointed to guard
them is the daughter of Moizes."

'My brothers were full of rage when they saw themselves outwitted, but
there was no help for it. The watches were delivered up to Sumi and they
went their way, while I remained behind curious to see what would
happen.

'As night wore on Sumi wound up both watches, and when midnight struck
Aurora and her sister made their appearance. They knew nothing of what
had occurred and supposed they had just awakened from sleep, but when
Sumi's story made them understand their terrible fate, they both sobbed
with despair and were only consoled when Sumi promised never to forsake
them. Then one o'clock sounded, and they became watches again.

'All night long I was a prey to vague fears, and I felt as if something
unseen was pushing me on--in what direction I did not know. At dawn I
rose and went out, meeting Izif in the street suffering from the same
dread as myself. We agreed that Constantinople was no place for us any
longer, and calling to Izouf to accompany us, we left the city together,
but soon determined to travel separately, so that we might not be so
easily recognised by the spies of Siroco.

'A few days later I found myself at the door of an old castle near the
sea, before which a tall slave was pacing to and fro. The gift of one or
two worthless jewels loosened his tongue, and he informed me that he was
in the service of the son of the Bassa of the Sea, at that time making
war in distant countries. The youth, he told me, had been destined from
his boyhood to marry the daughter of Siroco, whose sisters were to be
the brides of his brothers, and went on to speak of the talisman that
his charge possessed. But I could think of nothing but the beautiful
Zelida, and my passion, which I thought I had conquered, awoke in full
force.

'In order to remove this dangerous rival from my path, I resolved to
kidnap him, and to this end I began to act a madman, and to sing and
dance loudly, crying to the slave to fetch the boy and let him see my
tricks. He consented, and both were so diverted with my antics that they
laughed till the tears ran down their cheeks, and even tried to imitate
me. Then I declared I f