e bowl came to the bottom of
the hill it stopped, the prince alighted, and stood some time to
recollect the dervish's directions. He encouraged himself, and
began to walk up with a resolution to reach the summit; but
before he had gone above six steps, he heard a voice, which
seemed to be near, as of a man behind him, say in an insulting
tone, "Stay, rash youth, that I may punish you for your
presumption."

Upon this affront the prince, forgetting the dervish's advice,
clapped his hand upon his sword, drew it, and turned about to
revenge himself; but had scarcely time to see that nobody
followed him before he and his horse were changed into black
stones.

In the mean time the princess Perie-zadeh, several times a day
after her brother's departure, counted her chaplet. She did not
omit it at night, but when she went to bed put it about her neck;
and in the morning when she awoke counted over the pearls again
to see if they would slide.

The day that prince Perviz was transformed into a stone, she was
counting over the pearls as she used to do, when all at once they
became immoveably fixed, a certain token that the prince her
brother was dead. As she had determined what to do in case it
should so happen, she lost no time in outward demonstrations of
grief, which she concealed as much as possible; but having
disguised herself in man's apparel, armed and equipped, she
mounted her horse the next morning, having told her servants she
should return in two or three days, and took the same road her
brothers had done.

The princess, who had been used to ride on horseback in hunting,
supported the fatigue of so long a journey better than most
ladies could have done; and as she made the same stages as her
brothers, she also met with the dervish on the twentieth day.
When she came near him, she alighted off her horse, leading him
by the bridle, went and sat down by the dervish, and after she
had saluted him, said, "Good dervish, give me leave to rest
myself; and do me the favour to tell me if you have not heard
that there are somewhere in this neighbourhood a speaking bird, a
singing tree, and golden water."

"Princess," answered the dervish, "for so I must call you, since
by your voice I know you to be a woman disguised in man's
apparel, I thank you for your compliment, and receive the honour
you do me with great pleasure. I know the place well where these
things are to be found: but what makes you ask me this question?"