"When your master awakens tell him that to-morrow is the last day we shall come here to bathe in the lake."
The peafowl were no sooner gone than the Prince rubbed his eyes and looked about.
"What! Where are they? Have I been asleep again?"
The serving man pretended to be deeply grieved.
"I tried hard to awaken you, master, but I couldn't. The ninth peafowl as she flew away said to tell you that to-morrow is the last day they'll come to the lake."
The next day as the Prince waited for the appearance of the nine peafowl he galloped madly along the shore of the lake hoping in this way to ward off the strange sleep. But the moment the nine peafowl appeared in the sky he was so delighted that he drew rein and the treacherous serving man was able to slip up behind him and blow the magic bellows on his neck. So again he slept soundly while the ninth peafowl fluttered about his head and tried vainly to arouse him.
As she was flying away she said to the serving man:
"Tell your master that now he will never find me unless he strikes off the head from the nail."
When the Prince awoke the serving man delivered this message.
"What can she mean?" the Prince said.