One day when the two princes were hunting, and the princess had
remained at home, an old woman, a devotee, came to the gate, and
desired leave to go in to say her prayers, it being then the hour. The
servants asked the princess's permission, who ordered them to show her
into the oratory, which the intendant of the emperor's gardens had
taken care to fit up in his house, for want of a mosque in the
neighborhood. After the good woman had finished her prayers, she was
brought before the princess in the great hall, which in beauty and
richness exceeded all the other apartments.
As soon as the princess saw the devout woman, she asked her many
questions upon the exercise of devotion which she practiced, and how
she lived; all which were answered with great modesty. Talking of
several things, at last she asked the woman what she thought of the
house, and how she liked it.
"Madam," answered the devout woman, "if you will give me leave to
speak my mind freely, I will take the liberty to tell you that this
house would be incomparable if it had three things which are wanting
to complete it. The first of these three things is the speaking-bird,
so singular a creature that it draws around it all the singing-birds
in the neighborhood, which come to accompany his song. The second is
the singing-tree, the leaves of which are so many mouths, which form
an harmonious concert of different voices, and never cease.
Pages:
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146