ut taking
you with me, I constrained the bird, by the power I had over him,
to afford me the means. He told me where to find this pitcher,
and the use I was to make of it."

The princes Bahman and Perviz learnt by this relation the
obligation they had to the princess their sister; as did all the
other gentlemen, who were collected round, and expressed to the
princess, that, far from envying her happiness in the conquest
she had made, and which they all had aspired to, they thought
they could not any otherwise acknowledge the favour she had done
them, or better express their gratitude to her for restoring them
to life again, than by declaring themselves all her slaves, and
that they were ready to obey her in whatever she should command.

"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