as only too willing to wait a while, and the Princess
entertained him so well with feasts and hunting-parties that day after
day slipped by, and still he lingered.

At last, however, the thought of his home and his father's grief made
him decide to return at once.

"My Princess," he said, "since it is so hard to part, wilt thou not
ride with me upon the Enchanted Horse? When we are once more in Persia
our marriage shall take place, and then we will return to the King thy
father."

So together they mounted the Enchanted Horse and the Prince placed his
arm around the Princess and turned the magic peg. Up and up they flew
over land and sea, and then the Prince turned the other screw, and
they landed just outside his father's city. He guided the horse to a
palace outside the gates, and there he left the Princess, for he
wished to go alone to prepare his father.

Now when the Prince reached the court he found every one dressed in
brown, and all the bells of the city were tolling mournfully.

"Why is every one so sad?" he asked of one of the guards.

"The Prince, the Prince!" cried the man. "The Prince has come back."

And soon the joyful news spread over the town, and the bells stopped
tolling and rang a joyful peal.

"My beloved son!" cried the King, as he embraced him. "We thought thou
wert lost for ever, and we have mourned for thee day and night."

Without waiting to hear more, the Prince began to tell the King all
his adventures, and how the Princess of Bengal awaited him in the
palace outside the gates.

"Let her be brought here instantly," cried the King, "and the marriage
shall take place to-day."

Then he ordered that the Indian should be set free at once and allowed
to depart with the Enchanted Horse.

Great was the surprise of the Indian when, instead of having his head
cut off as he had expected, he was allowed to go free with his
wonderful horse. He asked what adventures had befallen the Prince, and
when he heard of the Princess who was waiting in the palace outside
the gates, a wicked plan came into his head.

He took the Enchanted Horse, and went straight to the palace before
the King's messengers could reach it.

"Tell the Princess," he said to the slaves, "that the Prince of Persia
has sent me to bring her to his father's palace upon the Enchanted
Horse."

The Princess was very glad when she heard this message, and she
quickly made herself ready to go with the messenger.

But alas! as so