he
criminal all the while crying out in a doleful manner, and
struggling to escape. They carried it to the grave of the bird
which it had lately sacrificed to its rage, and there killed it
in just revenge for the murder it had committed. They opened its
belly, tore out the entrails, left the body on the spot unburied,
and flew away.

The prince had remained in astonishment all the time that he
stood beholding this singular spectacle. He now drew near the
tree where this scene had passed, and casting his eyes on the
scattered entrails of the bird that had been last killed, spied
something red hanging out of the stomach. He took it up, and
found it was his beloved princess Badoura's talisman, which had
cost him so much pain and sorrow, and so many sighs, since the
bird had snatched it out of his hand. "Ah, cruel!" said he to
himself; still looking on the bird, "thou took'st delight in
doing mischief, so I have the less reason to complain of that
which thou didst to me: but the greater it was, the more do I
wish well to those that revenged my quarrel, punishing thee for
the murder of one of their own kind."

It is impossible to express the prince's joy: "Dear princess,"
continued he to himself, "this happy minute, which restores to me
a treasure so precious to thee, is, without doubt, a presage of
our meeting again, and perhaps sooner than I think of. Thank
heaven who sent me this good fortune, and gives me hope of the
greatest felicity that my heart can desire."

Saying this, he kissed the talisman, wrapped it up in a riband,
and tied it carefully about his arm. He had been almost every
night a stranger to rest, the recollection of his misfortunes
keeping him awake, but this night he enjoyed calm repose: he rose
somewhat later the next morning than he used to do, and went to
the gardener for orders. The good man bade him root up an old
tree which bore no fruit.

Kummir al Zummaun took an axe and began his work. In cutting off
a branch of the root, he found his axe struck against something
that resisted the blow. He removed the earth, and discovered a
broad plate of brass, under which was a staircase of ten steps.
He went down, and at the bottom saw a cavity about six yards
square with fifty brass urns placed in order, each with a cover
over it. He opened them all, one after another, and found they
were all of them full of gold-dust. He came out of the cave,
rejoicing that he had found such a vast treasure, put the