“He started, and came back.  ‘Watch over my wife,’ he said to his father again.  ‘Fear nothing,’ repeated his father.  The latter went to the market.  On his return he said to his daughter-in-law, ’There were very beautiful women in the market,’ ‘I surpass them all in beauty,’ said the woman; ’take me to the market.’

“A man offered 1,000 francs for her.  The father-in-law refused, and said to her:  ’Sit down on the mat.  The one that covers you with silver may have you,’ A man advanced.  ‘If you want to marry her,’ said her father-in-law, ‘cover her with silver, and she will be your wife.’

“Soon Si El-Ahcen returned from his journey and asked if his wife were still living.  ‘Your wife is dead,’ said his father; ’she fell from her mule,’ Si El-Ahcen threw himself on the ground.  They tried to lift him up.  It was useless trouble.  He remained stretched on the earth.

“One day a merchant came to the village and said to him, ’The Sultan married your wife,’ She had said to the merchant, ’The day that you leave I will give you a message,’ She wrote a letter to her husband, and promised the bearer a flock of sheep if he would deliver it.

“Si El-Ahcen received the letter, read it, was cured, ran to the house, and said to his father:  ’My wife has married again in my absence; she is not dead.  I brought home much money.  I will take it again.’

“He took his money and went to the city where his wife lived.  He stopped at the gates.  To the first passer-by he gave five francs, to the second five more.

“‘What do you want, O stranger?’ they asked.  ’If you want to see the Sultan we will take you to him,’ They presented him to the Sultan.

“‘Render justice to this man,’ ‘What does he want?’ ‘My lord,’ answered Sidi El-Ahcen, ‘the woman you married is my wife,’ ‘Kill him!’ cried the Sultan.  ‘No,’ said the witnesses, ‘let him have justice,’

“‘Let him tell me if she carries an object,’ Si El-Ahcen answered:  ’This woman was betrothed to me before her birth.  An amulet is hidden in her hair,’ He took away his wife, returned to the village, and gave a feast.

“If you open the door,” continued the bird, “you will have the same fate as Fatima-ou-Lmelh.  Hamed-ou-Lmelh married her.  Fatima said to her father-in-law, ‘Take me to my uncle’s house,’ Arriving there she married another husband.  Hamed-ou-Lmelh was told of this, and ran to find her.  At the moment he arrived he found the wedding over and the bride about to depart for the house of her new husband.  Then Hamed burst into the room and cast himself out of the window.  Fatima did the same, and they were both killed.

“The intended father-in-law and his family returned to their house, and were asked the cause of the misfortune.  ‘The woman was the cause,’ they answered.

“Nevertheless, the father of Hamed-ou-Lmelh went to the parents of Fatima and said:  ‘Pay us for the loss of our son.  Pay us for the loss of Fatima.’