send needs but follow it for twenty days, and on the
twentieth let him only ask the first person he meets where the
speaking-bird, singing-tree, and yellow-water are, and he will be
informed."

After saying this she rose from her seat, took her leave, and went her
way.

The Princess Perie-zadeh's thoughts were so absorbed in her desire to
obtain possession of these three wonders, that her brothers, on their
return from hunting, instead of finding her lively and gay, as she
used to be, were amazed to see her pensive and melancholy, and weighed
down by some trouble.

"Sister," said Prince Bahman, "what has become of all your mirth and
gayety? Are you not well? Or has some misfortune befallen you? Tell us
that we may give you some relief."

The princess at first returned no answer to these inquiries; but on
being pressed by her brothers, thus replied: "I always believed that
this house which our father built us was so complete that nothing was
wanting. But this day I have learned that it wants three rarities, the
speaking-bird, the singing-tree, and the yellow-water. If it had
these, no country seat in the world could be compared with it." Then
she informed them wherein consisted the excellency of these rarities,
and requested her brothers to send some trustworthy person in search
of these three curiosities.

"Sister," replied Prince Bahman, "it is enough that you have an
earnest desire for the things you mention to oblige us to try to
obtain them. I will take that charge upon myself; only tell me the
place, and the way to it, and I will set out to-morrow. You, brother,
shall stay at home with our sister, and I commend her to your care."

Prince Bahman spent the remainder of the day in making preparations
for his journey, and informing himself from the princess of the
directions which the devout woman had left her. The next morning he
mounted his horse, and Perviz and the princess embraced him and wished
him a good journey. But in the midst of their adieus, the princess
recollected what she had not thought of before.

"Brother," said she, "I had quite forgotten the perils to which you
may be exposed. Who knows whether I shall ever see you again! Alight,
I beseech you, and give up this journey. I would rather be deprived of
the sight and possession of the speaking-bird, singing-tree, and
yellow-water, than run the risk of never seeing you more."

"Sister," replied Bahman, smiling at the sudden fears of the prince