will hazard nothing by
being seen; on the contrary, they would please the more."

"Sir," answered the princess, smiling, "they are not musicians, but the
leaves of the tree your majesty sees before you, which form this
concert; and if you will give yourself the trouble to go a little
nearer, you will be convinced, and the voices will be the more
distinct."

The emperor went nearer and was so charmed with the sweet harmony that
he would never have been tired with hearing it, but that his desire to
have a nearer view of the fountain of golden water forced him away.
"Daughter," said he, "tell me, I pray you, whether this wonderful tree
was found in your garden by chance, or was a present made to you, or
have you procured it from some foreign country? It must certainly have
come from a great distance, otherwise curious as I am after natural
rarities I should have heard of it. What name do you call it by?"

"Sir," replied the princess, "this tree has no other name than that of
the Singing Tree, and is not a native of this country. It would at
present take up too much time to tell your majesty by what adventures it
came here; its history is connected with the Golden Water and the
Talking Bird, which came to me at the same time, and which your majesty
may presently see. But if it be agreeable to your majesty, after you
have rested yourself and recovered the fatigue of hunting, which must be
the greater because of the sun's intense heat, I will do myself the
honour of relating it to you."

"My daughter," replied the emperor, "my fatigue is so well recompensed
by the wonderful things you have shown me, that I do not feel it in the
least. Let me see the Golden Water, for I am impatient to see and admire
afterward the Talking Bird."

When the emperor came to the Golden Water, his eyes were fixed so
steadfastly upon the fountain, that he could not take them off. At last,
addressing himself to the princess, he said: "As you tell me, daughter,
that this water has no spring or communication, I conclude that it is
foreign, as well as the Singing Tree."

"Sir," replied the princess, "it is as your majesty conjectures; and to
let you know that this water has no communication with any spring, I
must inform you that the basin is one entire stone, so that the water
cannot come in at the sides or underneath. But what your majesty will
think most wonderful is that all this water proceeded but from one small
flagon, emptied into this ba