few minutes to
live. Oh! can no one save her?"

'"_I_ can," answered the third, taking a small box from his turban;
"this ointment will cure any illness. But how to reach her in time?"

'"Give it to me," said the first. And he wished himself by the bedside
of the princess, which was surrounded by the sultan and his weeping
courtiers. Clearly there was not a second to lose, for the princess
had grown unconscious, and her face cold. Plunging his finger into the
ointment he touched her eyes, mouth and ears with the paste, and with
beating heart awaited the result.

'It was swifter than he supposed. As he looked the colour came back
into her cheeks, and she smiled up at her father. The sultan, almost
speechless with joy at this sudden change, embraced his daughter
tenderly, and then turned to the young man to whom he owed her life:

'"Are you not one of those three whom I sent forth to learn a trade
six months ago?" asked he. And the young man answered yes, and that
the other two were even now on their way to the palace, so that the
sultan might judge between them.'

At this point in his story the nightingale stopped, and asked the
prince which of the three he thought had the best right to the
princess.

[Illustration: THE SILENT PRINCESS SPEAKS AT LAST]

'The one who had learned how to prepare the ointment,' replied he.

'But if it had not been for the man who could see what was happening
at a distance they would never have known that the princess was ill,'
said the nightingale. 'I would give it to _him_.' And the strife
between them waxed hot, till, suddenly, the listening princess
started up from her cushions and cried:

'Oh, you fools! cannot you understand that if it had not been for him
who had power to reach the palace in time the ointment itself would
have been useless, for death would have claimed her? It is he and no
other who ought to have the princess!'

At the first sound of the princess's voice, a slave, who was standing
at the door, ran at full speed to tell the sultan of the miracle which
had taken place, and the delighted father hastened to the spot. But by
this time the princess perceived that she had fallen into a trap which
had been cunningly laid for her, and would not utter another word. All
she could be prevailed on to do was to make signs to her father that
the man who wished to be her husband must induce her to speak three
times. And she smiled to herself beneath her seven veils as she