will,
Seeking pleasure, pleasure still.
Such, such be the life for me:
Who aims at more, a fool is he."

When she had finished her song, she bowed before Jussuf in a mocking
mood, and said,

"How does that please you, Jussuf? Why, you are making a face as if
you had drunk poison. What thoughts are now passing through your
head?"

"I am thinking of the talisman," answered Jussuf. "Give it me to-day.
Haschanascha lies at the point of death."

"What of that?" asked she, jestingly: "if there be one such black
creature more or less in the world, what consequence is it to you?
Come, will you give me your talisman? It has served you well. Be
polite for once, and say that you give it me."

She approached him, patted his cheek with her left hand, and holding
out the talisman with her right, said smiling,

"Does it belong to me? Is it not true that you have given it me?"

Jussuf's first impulse was to say Yes; but when he looked into her
eyes, and, instead of human eyes, saw a great number of butterflies'
eyes, horror came over him. He snatched away the talisman, and threw
it quickly over his head, calling on Haschanascha's name.

At this moment Haschanascha's elephant appeared exactly as he had seen
it at the hunt. A brown slave, with a head-dress of beautiful feathers
and variegated jewels, acted as leader, with a short staff in his
hand. A maiden holding a drawn bow knelt on the elephant, and before
Jussuf perceived it, the arrow flew from the bow, and his playfellow
lay in his arms, pierced through with the arrow. Fright and
astonishment took possession of him. Before he recovered himself, the
elephant, with its guide, had disappeared, and also the deadly-struck
maiden lay no longer in his arms. He looked on the ground to find
traces of her blood, which he had seen gush out. There lay the
beautiful butterfly, transfixed with a needle shaped like an arrow, as
men keep such insects in a collection. He took it from the ground, and
perceived again the wooden box and golden key which he had formerly
opened and dropped. In doubt whether he were awake or asleep, he shut
the butterfly fast up in the box, and was going thoughtfully away.
Then the faithful slave came running to him, quite breathless, and
cried,

"Flee quickly through the garden! The servants of the priests have
already arrived in the palace-yard, and ask for you: you are again
destined for a sacrifice."

He asked after the Princess.

"She m