However, the love which both the king and the prince had for the princess, and her own undoubted grief at the loss of the child, caused them to hesitate as to what course to pursue. Day after day went by, and nothing was done about the sad matter. [[143]]
After a considerable time another daughter was born to them, and, in the same way as before—though both the prince and the princess, each without letting the other know of it, had charged the nurse and attendants to be extremely watchful—the bird came, took the child, again smeared blood upon the mouth of the princess, and flew away.
When morning came, the prince found the same sad state of affairs which had bewildered him before. He could not restrain his grief, the knowledge of which was borne to his father.
The king was moved with great indignation, along with his sorrow. He gave command that the savage woman should be put to death.
When the prince learned of this command, his grief at the loss of the child was swallowed up in the greater one of losing his wife. All his love for the beautiful girl, whose life with him had only these two blots, swept over his heart. He hastened to his father, prostrated himself before him, and begged that, once more, her life might be spared.
The king, seeing the grief of his son, and experiencing a like tenderness in his own heart, was gracious once more and annulled the sentence.
Time came and went. At the end of another year a boy was born to the young couple. When the boy had reached the age of the other children [[144]]when they disappeared, the prince began to reflect, saying within himself: “Should the savage instincts take possession of the princess and she, unconsciously, destroy this child, nothing would prevent my father from commanding and insisting upon her death.”
Thinking thus, he made up his mind to remain awake all night and watch. After the princess had gone to sleep, the prince took a needle in his hand, and held it in such a manner against his chin that, should he become sleepy and nod, the point would enter the flesh and waken him. Finally, however, a strange, heavy sleep, against which he had no power of resistance, overcame him, and the needle dropped from his hand.
About twelve o’clock the bird came, after it had smeared blood upon the mouth and nose of the mother, and took this third child; upon which it wakened her, saying: “Verily, my sultana, I am going to take your boy from you. Hereafter you shall see me again. There are other afflictions. I will bring them to you.”
The princess tried, frantically, to detain him. But it was impossible. Neither was she able to cry aloud. Dumb with terror, she remained helpless while the bird disappeared with her youngest child.