“O, let me see her once again!” he exclaimed, and set himself to watch for her coming.
His companions, seeing him quiet and meditative, did not approach; but remained in another part of [[212]]the ship. One, two hours went by, and the stillness caused him to fall asleep.
By this time the princess again appeared at her window and, seeing him thus, thought he must be ill, sighed “Alas!” and wept bitter tears.
The spirit of the wind caught one of her tears, carried it over to the ship, and laid it upon the prince’s cheek, thus causing him to waken at once.
When he looked across the water, saw the princess, and knew that she was weeping for him, a pleasant joy wakened within his heart. But his companions—seeing that he was awake—approached and said:
“O, prince! It is you who have caused tears to flow from the eyes of this wonderful creature. Call out to her that we are going away, and, if she loves you, we will see that she will do some marvelous thing. Should she accept your going calmly, you may know that she is a siren, whose business and pleasure it is to lure men to their destruction.”
After more words of this kind, the young men so wrought upon the mind of their prince that, looking over to the window of the kiosk where stood the princess, he cried:
“Here is the ship, O, princess! And yonder is Yemen!”
Then he commanded the captain; the ship was [[213]]made ready to sail, and soon started off in the direction of his home. After some time it reached Yemen, and the king was rejoiced that his son had arrived within the appointed time.
Let us return to the princess.