els in the cauldron, and he quickly changed the wands, placed the
severed foot against the wound, and immediately the two parts became
one as before. Then the maiden opened her eyes, sprang to her feet,
and drawing her veil about her, ran into the hut, and would not come
out or speak to him any more. For a long while he waited, but, as she
did not appear, he gathered up the precious stones and returned to the
palace. He easily got some one to set the jewels, and found that there
were enough to make, not only one, but three rare and beautiful
anklets, and these he duly presented to the king on the very day that
his month of grace was over.

The king embraced him warmly, and made him rich gifts; and the next
day the vain princess put two anklets on each foot, and strutted up
and down in them admiring herself in the mirrors that lined her room.

'Oh, Tote,' asked the starling, 'how do you think our princess looks
now in these fine jewels?'

[Illustration]

'Ugh!' growled the parrot, who was really always cross in the
mornings, and never recovered his temper until after lunch, 'she's got
all her beauty at one end of her now; if she had a few of those fine
gew-gaws round her neck and wrists she would look better; but now, to
my mind, she looks more than ever like the washerwoman's daughter
dressed up.'

Poor princess! she wept and stormed and raved until she made herself
quite ill; and then she declared to her father that, unless she had
bracelets and necklace to match the anklets she would die.

Again the king sent for Ameer Ali, and ordered him to get a necklace
and bracelets to match those anklets within a month, or be put to a
cruel death.

And again Ameer Ali spent nearly the whole month searching for the
jewels, but all in vain. At length he made his way to the hut in the
forest, and stood and cried:

'Fairy of the forest! Fairy of the forest! Help me! help me!'

Once more the beautiful maiden appeared at his summons and asked what
he wanted, and when he had told her she said he must do exactly as he
had done the first time, except that now he must cut off both her
hands and her head. Her words turned Ameer Ali pale with horror; but
she reminded him that no harm had come to her before, and at last he
consented to do as she bade him. From her severed hands and head there
fell into the cauldron bracelets and chains of rubies and diamonds,
emeralds and pearls that surpassed any that ever were seen. Then the