it, and promised that he
would return within a year. After much consideration the King
consented to let him go, and Tasmir was overjoyed. I was very much
cast down at the thought of being alone but Sadna seemed to be secretly
glad.

"Before departing my brother gave me a locket of silver which he said I
was to wear about my neck constantly until he returned. If it remained
bright I would know he was alive and well, but should it turn black I
would know that he was dead, and it would be of no use searching for
him.

"I wore the silver locket, and at the end of the year it was still
bright, although Tasmir had not come home. Up to this time my father
had been patiently waiting for Tasmir's return, but now he became very
anxious and wanted my brother Sadna to set out in search of him.

"This Sadna refused to do, saying that he knew quite well Tasmir was
dead, and it served him right for going on such a foolish errand in a
wild country, which so upset my father that he at once summoned all the
magicians and wise men in the kingdom to see if they could tell him
what had become of Tasmir. None of them could tell him anything,
excepting the Evil Magician, who had come with the others, and he said
Tasmir was dead.

"Then my poor father believed it, although I tried to make both him and
my brother understand that it was not true, as my locket was still
bright. They would not listen to me.

"Sadna immediately seized the King and locked him up in a large unused
wing of the castle, giving out the news to our subjects that his father
was out of his mind and unfit to reign, and that he, Sadna, wished to
be crowned at once.

"I was horribly disappointed with my brother, and taking all the money
I had in the world, I bought a good ship, which I manned with fifty of
the best sailors in the kingdom, and started out to look for Tasmir.

"We had gone only a short distance out to sea when a terrific storm
arose. It lasted all night, and in the morning we found ourselves
stranded high on the flat reefs to the south of this island, and were
obliged to take refuge on shore, as we feared the ship might go to
pieces in the storm.

"We came inland, brought some food with us, and when in the evening we
went back to the shore we found the sea calm enough, but the ship had
completely disappeared, as had also our small boats. Not a timber or a
splinter remained. We knew that the ship could not have sunk, as it
lay in shallow wate