thought of the impossibility of _that_.

When the sultan told the prince that though he had succeeded once, he
would have twice to pass through the same test, the young man's face
clouded over. It did not seem to him fair play, but he dared not
object, so he only bowed low, and contrived to step back close to the
spot where the nightingale was hidden. As it was now quite dark he
tucked unseen the little cage under his cloak, and left the palace.

'Why are you so gloomy?' asked the nightingale, as soon as they were
safely outside. 'Everything has gone exactly right! Of course the
princess was very angry with herself for having spoken. And did you
see that, at her first words, the veils that covered her began to
rend? Take me back to-morrow evening, and place me on the pillar by
the lattice. Fear nothing, you have only to trust to me!'

The next evening, towards sunset, the prince left the cage behind him,
and with the bird in the folds of his garment slipped into the palace
and made his way straight to the princess's apartments. He was at
once admitted by the slaves who guarded the door, and took care to
pass near the window so that the nightingale hopped unseen to the top
of a pillar. Then he turned and bowed low to the princess, and asked
her several questions; but, as before, she answered nothing, and,
indeed, gave no sign that she heard. After a few minutes the young man
bowed again, and crossing over to the window, he said:

'Oh, pillar! it is no use speaking to the princess, she will not utter
one word; and as I must talk to somebody, I have come to you. Tell me
how you have been all this long while?'

'I thank you,' replied a voice from the pillar, 'I am feeling very
well. And it is lucky for me that the princess is silent, or else you
would not have wanted to speak to me. To reward you, I will relate to
you an interesting tale that I lately overheard, and about which I
should like to have your opinion.'

'That will be charming,' answered the prince, 'so pray begin at once.'

'Once upon a time,' said the nightingale, 'there lived a woman who was
so beautiful that every man who saw her fell in love with her. But she
was very hard to please, and refused to wed any of them, though she
managed to keep friends with all. Years passed away in this manner,
almost without her noticing them, and one by one the young men grew
tired of waiting, and sought wives who may have been less handsome,
but were also less prou