“Gentlemen,” replied the princess, “if you had given any attention to my words you might have observed that I had no other intention in what I have done than to recover my brothers; therefore, if you have received any benefit, you owe me no obligation, and I have no further share in your compliment than your politeness towards me, for which I return you my thanks.  In other respects, I regard each of you individually as free as you were before your misfortunes, and I rejoice with you at the happiness which has accrued to you by my means.  Let us however stay no longer in a place where we have nothing to detain us; but mount our horses, and return to our respective homes.”

The princess took her horse, which stood in the place where she had left him.—­Before she mounted, prince Bahman desired her to give him the cage to carry.  “Brother,” replied the princess, “the bird is my slave, and I will carry him myself; if you will take the pains to carry the branch of the singing tree, there it is; only hold the cage while I get on horseback.”  When she had mounted her horse; and prince Bahman had given her the cage, she turned about and said to prince Perviz, “I leave the flagon of golden water to your care, if it will not be too much trouble for you to carry it.”  Prince Perviz took charge of it with pleasure.

When Bahman, Perviz, and all the gentlemen had mounted their horses, the princess waited for some of them to lead the way.  The two princes paid that compliment to the gentlemen, and they again to the princess, who, finding that none of them would accept of the honour, but that it was reserved for her, addressed herself to them and said, “Gentlemen, I expect that some of you should lead the way;” to which one who was nearest to her, in the name of the rest, replied, “Madam, were we ignorant of the respect due to your sex, yet after what you have done for us there is no deference we would not willingly pay you, notwithstanding your modesty; we entreat you no longer to deprive us of the happiness of following you.”

“Gentlemen,” said the princess, “I do not deserve the honour you do me, and accept it only because you desire it.”  At the same time she led the way, and the two princes and the gentlemen followed.

This illustrious company called upon the dervish as they passed, to thank him for his reception and wholesome advice, which they had all found to be sincere.  But he was dead:  whether of old age, or because he was no longer necessary to shew the way to the obtaining the three rarities which the princess Perie-zadeh had secured, did not appear.  They pursued their route, but lessened in their numbers every day.  The gentlemen who, as we said before, had come from different countries, after severally repeating their obligations to the princess and her brothers, took leave of them one after another as they approached the road they had come.