ldren, but here is one that has been sent in their place. Send
for a nurse, and I will do what is needful publicly to recognise it as
my son."

The wife accepted the baby with joy, and though the intendant saw quite
well that it must have come from the royal palace, he did not think it
was his business to inquire further into the mystery.

The following year another prince was born and sent adrift, but happily
for the baby, the intendant of the gardens again was walking by the
canal, and carried it home as before.

The Sultan, naturally enough, was still more furious the second time
than the first, but when the same curious accident was repeated in the
third year he could control himself no longer, and, to the great joy of
the jealous sisters, commanded that the Sultana should be executed.
But the poor lady was so much beloved at Court that not even the dread
of sharing her fate could prevent the grand-vizir and the courtiers
from throwing themselves at the Sultan's feet and imploring him not to
inflict so cruel a punishment for what, after all, was not her fault.

"Let her live," entreated the grand-vizir, "and banish her from your
presence for the rest of her days. That in itself will be punishment
enough."

His first passion spent, the Sultan had regained his self-command.
"Let her live then," he said, "since you have it so much at heart. But
if I grant her life it shall only be on one condition, which shall make
her daily pray for death. Let a box be built for her at the door of
the principal mosque, and let the window of the box be always open.
There she shall sit, in the coarsest clothes, and every Mussulman who
enters the mosque shall spit in her face in passing. Anyone that
refuses to obey shall be exposed to the same punishment himself. You,
vizir, will see that my orders are carried out."

The grand-vizir saw that it was useless to say more, and, full of
triumph, the sisters watched the building of the box, and then listened
to the jeers of the people at the helpless Sultana sitting inside. But
the poor lady bore herself with so much dignity and meekness that it
was not long before she had won the sympathy of those that were best
among the crowd.

But it is now time to return to the fate of the third baby, this time a
princess. Like its brothers, it was found by the intendant of the
gardens, and adopted by him and his wife, and all three were brought up
with the greatest care and tenderness.