of its death if she does not speak truth."

The Princess cried with a firm voice, "Let it be so; I promise them."

The King bowed consent.

Then she said, "There is a man among us whose wife sits at home
weeping and bewailing, for she had a beautiful little boy, eighteen
months old, who often ran about the streets. This child did not return
home yesterday: it was taken to the snake's temple, and the priests
know where it is. Let the man step forward and seek his child in the
snake's belly."

While she was speaking, a deep silence reigned around; but now a man
broke forth from the crowd, and said, "It is true; I am the man. My
beautiful boy, my Hamed, has not returned, and my wife sits at home
and weeps. I left her, for I could not bear to hear her lament."

Then arose a common shout of astonishment and compassion from all, and
he waited long for silence.

Then the Princess said to the man, "Draw your sword, cut open the
snake, and you will find your child. I do not know if life still
remain in him--the snake has only swallowed it an hour."

The man approached the chest, drew his sword with a trembling hand,
and opened the snake with an anxious face. When, behold, he pulled out
his child! He immediately ran with him from the palace, as he thought
he discovered some slight traces of life in him. Then the priests fell
on their knees before the King, and begged for pardon.

But the people, who were assembled in great crowds, cried, "Down with
them! down with them!" and laid hands on them, as the King commanded
them to be imprisoned.

The Princess now turned to the King, and said, "Let us release this
unfortunate man: he has come as a stranger into our land, to whom you
ought to have shown hospitality; instead of which you have imprisoned
him as a criminal; you have mocked and jeered him, whilst, by your
oath, you should have allowed him to quit your city free. Let what you
have said in mockery of him be now reversed to his honour; for a
King's word must not be blown away by the wind. This and no other
shall be my husband."

The King commanded, and the prisoner was immediately freed. He bowed
thankfully to the King and Princess. The King raised him, embraced
him, called him his son, and led him to the Princess, saying,

"Let him be your husband: the solemnities of marriage shall be
immediately prepared."

He caused his servants to proclaim through the city that the marriage
of Princess Haschanascha was to be c