The king was dazzled with the magnificence of the great gem. With all speed he sent for his daughter, to whom he said: “Verily, my child, this valiant youth has secured the priceless jewel which you demanded. What new trial of his patience and ardor will you now invent?”
The almost fainting girl responded: “Ai, my [[120]]father! for the love of Allah, grant to me one more night. To-morrow, surely, I will give you a final answer.”
The king permitted himself to be curious concerning the new device which the heart of his daughter would invent; therefore he answered: “It is but a day. To-morrow bring me thy answer.”
The princess returned to her room, and the young prince concealed himself until night came on, when he went to her door to observe what would come to pass. Everything occurred as on previous evenings. The snow-white bird, after plunging in the perfumed waters, became a youth, as beautiful as the moon. The two embraced, after which the princess cried: “O, my dear harbor of refuge! my lord! The ill conditioned youth has brought the diamond to-day, as he brought the mirror yesterday. What will become of us?”
But the young prince smiled at her distress, comforting her with a caress, and answered:
“Do not be troubled at this, my princess! Since my father is king of the fairies, can it be impossible for me to find a way out of this dilemma? In the middle of our pleasure garden stands a crying pomegranate tree, and near it a laughing bear. The moment any person approaches the tree, or even stretches out a hand toward its branches, the tree [[121]]begins to cry. And when the bear hears the crying of the tree, he is filled so with delight that he begins to laugh. As a consequence, no one, except the gardener and the keeper, can go near them.
“To-morrow I will ask my father to command that all the soldiers in his kingdom take up their arms. I will station them about the tree. Should this presumptuous youth dare to appear, it will mean instant death to him.
“When he comes again, announce that you have but one more request. Tell of the tree and say that you have desired it long. Pride in those two achievements will disarm his wisdom. He will undertake to gratify you, and will meet the death which he deserves for having aspired to the hand of a king’s daughter.”
Later on, at the break of day, a bird flew out of the window and did not pause until it had reached the pleasure garden of the king of the fairies. There, turning into his rightful form and appearing as prince of the fairies, he commanded all the soldiers of the kingdom to take up their arms. Then he set them to watch about the pomegranate tree.
Let us come again to the scarlet princess.