sounding all around him.  Some said, “Who is yon fool man and whence hath he come?” Stop him, let him not pass!” Others shouted out, “Fall on him, seize this zany and slay him!” Then the report waxed louder and louder still, likest to the roar of thunder, and many Voices yelled out, “Thief!  Assassin!  Murderer!” Another muttered in taunting undertones, “Let him be, fine fellow that he is!  Suffer him to pass on, for he and he only shall get the cage and the Speaking-Bird.”  The Prince feared naught but advanced hot foot with his wonted verve and spirit; presently, however, when the Voices kept approaching nearer and nearer to him and increased in number on every side, he was sore perplexed.  His legs began to tremble, he staggered and in fine overcome by fear he clean forgot the warning of the Darwaysh and looked back, whereat he was incontinently turned to stone like the scores of knights and adventurers who had foregone him.  Meantime the Princess Perizadah ever carried the hunting-knife, which Bahman her brother had given her, sheathed as it was in her maiden zone.  She had kept it there ever since he set out upon his perilous expedition, and whenever she felt disposed she would bare the blade and judge by its sheen how fared her brother.  Now until that day when he was transmewed to stone she found it, as often as she looked at it, clean and bright; but on the very evening when that evil fate betided him perchance Prince Parwez said to Perizadah, “O sister mine, give me I pray thee the hunting-knife that I may see how goeth it with our brother.”  She took it from her waist-belt and handed it to him; and as soon as he unsheathed the knife lo and behold! he saw gouts of gore begin to drop from it.  Noting this he dashed the hunting-knife down and burst out into loud lamentations, whilst the Princess who divined what had happened shed a flood of bitter tears and cried with sighs and sobs, “Alas, O my brother, thou hast given thy life for me.  Ah, woe is me and well-away! why did I tell thee of the Speaking-Bird and the Singing-Tree and the Golden- Water?  Wherefore did I ask that holy woman how she liked our home, and hear of those three things in answer to my question?  Would to Heaven she had never crossed our threshold and darkened our doors!  Ungrateful hypocrite, dost thou requite me on such wise for the favour and the honour I was fain to show thee; and what made me ask of thee the means whereby to win these things?  If now I obtain possession of them what will they advantage me, seeing that my brother Bahman is no more?  What should I ever do with them?” Thus did Perizadah indulge her grief bewailing her sad fate; while Parwez in like manner moaned for his brother Bahman with exceeding bitter mourning.  At last the Prince, who despite his sorrow was assured that his sister still ardently desired to possess the three marvels, turned to Perizadah and said, “It behoveth me, O my sister, to set out forthright and to discover whether Bahman our brother met his death by doom of