He lifted the child very tenderly, wrapped it in the snowy silken covering, and, holding it closely in his arms, rejoined his companions, who awaited him without the tomb.
They all returned directly to the palace. As they entered, the prince summoned the queen, the girl who had come to him, her mother, and gave command that the child be recognized as one of the chief members in the royal household. To the girl he said:
“You are young and strong. It is my will that [[91]]you devote yourself to the care of this babe. See that he does not cry, while I go outside and give orders concerning his ablutions.”
Now, the child, being strong and well grown, had freed itself from the detaining hands of the prince and slipped to the floor. After his going, it wandered, with uncertain, childish footsteps, about the room, playing with whatever object attracted its attention. In this way it went up to an open drawer in which lay the bracelet, which the witch had removed from the arm of its own mother. In a moment the bright object was in the tiny hands.
This sight caused a great shock to the girl who was tending him. She flew to recover the precious trinket; but the child would not let go of it. He tightened his hold and, opening his mouth, began to scream lustily.
The prince heard the cry. He came within and asked, angrily, why she was making the child cry. To which she made reply: “But, my lord, the babe has my bracelet. It is only because I would take it from him that he cries.”
“If it were twenty bracelets, let him play!” was the response.
But as is often the manner with children when in a strange place, this one, having once begun, would not cease his crying. Nothing would appease [[92]]him. It seemed as if he would cry his little heart out. Thereupon the prince took him in his arms, called his companions, and, with all speed, hastened to the tomb of shim-shirak stone.
It was the end of the hour. And the doors, opening inward and outward of themselves, were uttering the same plaintive words which had greeted his ears at the first.
The prince quickened his pace, entered the tomb, raised the lid of the golden casket and laid the child where he had found it, beside the mother. As he did this, the bracelet, of which the little fingers had not once let go, touched the white arm of the woman. At the contact her mouth began to quiver, and, from the waist downward, she became alive. Her feet grew warm and stirred.