aw him and said to the woman, "Don't open
the door." The prince heard the bird speak, and returned to the palace
without saying a word. An old woman was called to cast spells over him, and
said to the King:

"He could not see a woman he has never seen."

The prince spoke and said to her: "If you will come with me, I will bring
her here." They arrived.

The old dame called the young woman, "Come out, that we may see you."

She said to the bird, "I am going to open the door."

The bird answered: "If you open the door you will meet the same fate as Si
El-Ahcen. He was reading with many others in the mosque. One day he found
an amulet. His betrothed went no longer to school, and as she was old
enough he married her. Some days after he said to his father, 'Watch over
my wife.' 'Fear nothing,' answered the father.

"He started, and came back. 'Watch over my wife,' he said to his father
again. 'Fear nothing,' repeated his father. The latter went to the market.
On his return he said to his daughter-in-law, 'There were very beautiful
women in the market,' 'I surpass them all in beauty,' said the woman; 'take
me to the market.'

"A man offered 1,000 francs for her. The father-in-law refused, and said to
her: 'Sit down on the mat. The one that covers you with silver may have
you,' A man advanced. 'If you want to marry her,' said her father-in-law,
'cover her with silver, and she will be your wife.'

"Soon Si El-Ahcen returned from his journey and asked if his wife were
still living. 'Your wife is dead,' said his father; 'she fell from her
mule,' Si El-Ahcen threw himself on the ground. They tried to lift him up.
It was useless trouble. He remained stretched on the earth.

"One day a merchant came to the village and said to him, 'The Sultan
married your wife,' She had said to the merchant, 'The day that you leave I
will give you a message,' She wrote a letter to her husband, and promised
the bearer a flock of sheep if he would deliver it.

"Si El-Ahcen received the letter, read it, was cured, ran to the house, and
said to his father: 'My wife has married again in my absence; she is not
dead. I brought home much money. I will take it again.'

"He took his money and went to the city where his wife lived. He stopped at
the gates. To the first passer-by he gave five francs, to the second five
more.

"'What do you want, O stranger?' they asked. 'If you want to see the Sultan
we will take you to him,' They presented him to t