the door evidently expected him, for without a
word he let him pass, and another attendant who was waiting inside
conducted him straight into the presence of the sultan, who welcomed
him gladly.

'Ah, my son! where have you hidden yourself all this time?' said he.
And the bald-headed man answered:

'Oh, Sultan! Fairly I won your daughter, but you broke your word, and
would not give her to me. Then my home grew hateful to me, and I set
out to wander through the world! But now that you have repented of
your ill-faith, I have come to claim the wife who is mine of right.
Therefore bid your wizir prepare the contract.'

So a fresh contract was prepared, and at the wish of the new
bridegroom was signed by the sultan and the wizir in the chamber where
they met. After this was done, the youth begged the sultan to lead him
to the princess, and together they entered the big hall, where
everyone was standing exactly as they were when the young man had
uttered the fatal word.

'Can you remove the spell?' asked the sultan anxiously.

'I think so,' replied the young man (who, to say the truth, was a
little anxious himself), and stepping forward, he cried:

'Let the victims of Madschun be free!'

No sooner were the words uttered than the statues returned to life,
and the bride placed her hand joyfully in that of her new bridegroom.
As for the old one, he vanished completely, and no one ever knew what
became of him.

(Adapted from _Tuerkische Volksmaerchen aus Stambul_. Dr. Ignaz Kuenos.
E. J. Brill, Leiden.)

_THE BLUE PARROT_

In a part of Arabia where groves of palms and sweet-scented flowers
give the traveller rest after toilsome journeys under burning skies,
there reigned a young king whose name was Lino. He had grown up under
the wise rule of his father, who had lately died, and though he was
only nineteen, he did not believe, like many young men, that he must
change all the laws in order to show how clever he was, but was
content with the old ones which had made the people happy and the
country prosperous. There was only one fault that his subjects had to
find with him, and that was that he did not seem in any hurry to be
married, in spite of the prayers that they frequently offered him.

The neighbouring kingdom was governed by the Swan fairy, who had an
only daughter, the Princess Hermosa, who was as charming in her way as
Lino in his. The Swan fairy always had an ambassador at the young
king's court, a