he value of that which they had at
first only pretended to admire.

The other sages, who had not yet spoken, would have excused
themselves, and had their silence passed over in favour of the
applauses they gave to the uncommon sense of her who had confounded
those who preceded them. But Nourgehan, at the entreaty of Damake,
having commanded them to continue the conference, one of them
demanded, "What is heavier than a mountain?" the other, "What is more
cutting than a sabre?" and the third, "What is swifter than an arrow?"
Damake answered that the first "was the tongue of a man that complains
of oppression;" the second, "Calumny," and the third, "A glance."

There were four sages remaining who had not yet proposed their
difficulties. Nourgehan trembled, lest at length the mind of Damake
should be exhausted, and she should lose the honour of so great a
number of judicious answers. Yet this beautiful maiden appeared
neither fatigued nor exalted with that which would have raised the
vanity of the greatest part of mankind. But the very property of love
being to submit to the will of that which it loves, Nourgehan, whom
the preceding examples had not yet reassured, full of alarms and
inquietudes, commanded them to speak by a sign of his head, which they
durst not refuse. The first demanded of her, "What that animal was
which avoided everybody, was composed of seven different animals, and
inhabited desolate places." The second desired to know who that was
whose habit was armed with darts, who wore a black vest, a yellow
shirt, whose mother lived above a hundred years, and who was liked by
the whole world. The third desired her to name that which had but one
foot, which had a hole in its head, a leathern girdle, and which
raised up its head when its hairs were torn off and its face was spit
upon.

Damake answered to the first that it was a grasshopper, which is
composed of seven animals; for it has the head of a horse, the neck of
an ox, the wings of an eagle, the feet of a camel, the tail of a
serpent, the horns of a stag, and the body of a scorpion.

The lady found it more difficult to answer the question of the second:
for a moment the whole assembly thought her vanquished. This idea,
which she perceived in the eyes of all who looked upon her, made her
blush. She appeared only still more beautiful from her modesty; and
Nourgehan was charmed when he saw the sage who had proposed the
question agree that she had answered