And this is how old Mr. Owl happened to see the fair Princess Putri Balan, smiling down from her moon upon the sleeping world of birds who had never seen her and never would see her in all her loveliness.

How beautiful she was!  How bright and wonderful!  Old Mr. Owl stared up in wide-eyed astonishment, and then and there fell in love with her, and resolved to ask her to be his wife.

Cramming on his spectacles more tightly and ruffling the feathers about his neck, he flew up and up and up, as high as ever he dared to go, until he was within hailing distance of the moon.  Then he called out in his softest tones,—­which were harsh enough to any ears,—­

“O fair Moon-Maiden, O beautiful Princess, will you marry me?  For I love you very dearly.”

The Princess Putri Balan stopped chewing her betel-nut for a moment and looked down to see what daring creature might thus be addressing her.  Soon she spied Mr. Owl with his goggle-eyes looking up at her adoringly.  He was such a ridiculous old creature, and his spectacles glinted so queerly in the moonlight, that Putri Balan began to laugh and answered him not at all.  She laughed so hard that she almost swallowed her betel-nut, which might have been a serious matter.

Mr. Owl continued to stare, for he saw nothing funny in the situation.  Again he repeated in his hoarse voice, “O fair Moon-Maiden, O beautiful Princess, will you marry me?  For I love you very dearly.”

Again the Princess laughed, for she thought it a tremendous joke; and again she nearly choked.  Mr. Owl waited, but she made him no other answer.  However, he was a persistent lover.  All night long he went on asking the same question, over and over again, until the Princess Putri Balan was quite worn out trying not to choke with laughter while she chewed the betel-nut.  At last she said impatiently,—­

“O Mr. Goggle-Eyes!  Do give me a moment’s peace!  You make me laugh so that I cannot chew my betel-nut.  Yes, I will say yes, if you will only leave me to finish my betel-nut undisturbed.  I will marry you.  But you must go away until I have quite done.”

Then Mr. Owl was filled with joy.  “Thanks, thanks, O most gracious lady!” he said.  “I will go away and leave you to finish your betel-nut undisturbed.  But I shall come again to-morrow night, and by that time you will have done with it, and then you will be mine!”

Mr. Owl flew back to his home in the hollow tree, for it was almost morning, and already he was growing so blind that he could hardly find the way.  But the Princess Putri Balan went on chewing the betel-nut, and to herself she said,—­

[Illustration:  Putri Balan began to laugh]

“How am I to rid myself of this bore?  I cannot chew this little betel-nut forever; there must be an end to it before long.  Mr. Owl will certainly come again to-morrow night, and then, according to my promise, I must become his wife.  I cannot marry old Goggle-Eyes.  Oh dear!  What shall I do?”