Page:Researches respecting the Book of Sindibad and Portuguese Folk-Tales.djvu/43

last few days? I hear always a voice which says to me, when I go and gather a flower, 'Which will you do, go through your troubles in your youth or in your old age?'" The maid of honour replied, "Listen, royal lady; for my part I should say that I prefer having my troubles when young; with my old age I would acquire more power." The princess combed and dressed herself next day, and went to the garden. She heard the same voice which always spoke to her, and when it asked her the usual question the princess replied that she would rather go through her troubles in her youth than in her old age. Then the voice rejoined, "Take leave here of every thing that is yours." The princess took leave of the palace, of her father, of her mother, and of the servants. After this the voice led her through the air, and placed her on the top of a windmill. The owner of the windmill said that he missed the flour, and he began to throw stones at the princess. Next day the voice came for her at the same hour as the day before, and again took her through the air, and went and placed her on the banks of a river where some washerwomen were washing their clothes. The washerwomen began to say one to the other, "Just see, there goes the thief who steals the clothes which we have missed." And they all commenced to throw stones at her. The next day the same voice came for her at the same hour, and again led her through the air, and placed her at the gate of a garden. The gardener had hardly seen her when he began to say that it was she who was in the habit of stealing his fruit, and went in and began to pelt her with stones. Next day at the same hour the voice came back for her and took her through the air, and placed her at the door of a beautiful garden close to a palace. The voice then asked the princess if she remembered the time when she used to go to the garden. She replied that she did not recollect. A while after the cook looked out of a window of the palace, and seeing there a maiden that appeared to him to be very beautiful,