The servant of the king’s son heard all these words clearly, for he was awake; but in the morning when he woke he thought it was all a dream, therefore he did not tell the king’s son what he had seen, but resolved that he would wait for the coming night, and if the maiden would appear again in the form of a bird, then surely it was not a dream, and he would tell the king’s son.
The next evening also his wife gave the king’s son a sleeping-powder, and he slept like a shepherd’s coat. When the clock struck twelve the little bird rapped with her beak, the window opened before her, and closed behind.
The little bird shook herself and became the beautiful Reed Maiden. She went to the bed of the sleeping king’s son, spoke to him, strove to rouse him, and cried as the evening before; but he was motionless as a block. When the clock struck one the maiden shook herself, was a bird, and flew out through the window, which closed behind her. The servant of the king’s son heard all this clearly, for he had not slept, and was now sure that it was no dream. He said to his master next morning: “I would say something to thy Highness if I were not afraid.”
“Oh, good Yanchi, thou wilt have no trouble, only speak.”
“Well, the night before last, at midnight, a little bird flew to the window, struck and beat it with her beak; the window opened before her. She flew in, shook herself, and became such a beautiful maiden that I looked on her as an altar image; and I was afraid that she would bewitch me. The beautiful maiden then bent over thy Highness, spoke to thee, but thou didst not wake; she cried a long time, but thou didst not feel her hot tears. At last she said, with a bird’s tongue: ‘Oh, king’s son, youth of my soul, thy dear lips are dumb; open them for one, two words, to cheer thy beautiful love, thy tender violet I will come yet twice, then never again.’ This was repeated last night, but thy Highness spoke not a word, and lay there like a block. And thy Highness may believe that she was so beautiful that if I had been lying dead on the table, I should have risen.”
“Is that true, Yanchi?”
“As true as that the bright sun is shining in the sky.”
“Well, Yanchi, couldst thou take a slap on the cheek for a hundred florins?”
“Not for the money, but gladly for thy Highness,—even a hundred of them.”
“If thou wilt, then take it when my wife gives me the sleeping-powder again; for her dog soul gives it so that I should not wake. Knock down the light as though from awkwardness, then I will pour the sleeping-draught quietly into the bath; the woman will think that I have drunk it.”