Presently he came to a room, in which a beautiful maiden sat knitting. He did not tarry, however, but passed on into another room, where was another maiden, also knitting, who was more beautiful than the first. Still the prince tarried not. He entered a third room, where—what should he see? A maiden whose beauty exceeded all imagery, who dazzled the eyes of a beholder as if a sun had dropped into the room. The prince could not look into her face. He fell deeply in love with her from that moment and cried:
“Maiden, art thou human?” [[23]]
“I am human,” the maiden answered. “But, O, my knight, how didst thou reach this place? Knowest thou not that there dwelleth a dragon within this well? If he hear thee he will surely kill thee.”
“I am come to kill this monster,” replied the youth. “So do thou quickly show me where he may be found.”
The maiden, although she loved him, gave the desired direction, because she saw that Allah must have led him thither.
When the prince entered the door pointed out to him—what should he see! A genie who was like a minaret for height, and so huge that a common knight must lose his senses at the mere sight of him.
When this being perceived his visitor he lifted his thousand-pound stick and, uttering a sound that shook the earth, rushed upon him. The prince almost gave himself up for lost. But, seizing his sword, he shouted, “Through the power of Allah!” and struck upward with such force that the giant’s head was completely severed from his body. He sank to the ground, delivering up his soul to Hades.
At once the prince returned to the maiden; after which he gathered all the jewels he could find and, together with the three princesses, returned to the bottom of the well. After calling to his brothers to let down the rope, he tied it about the first maiden. [[24]]“Here, my elder brother, is thy portion!” he shouted. When this one had been rescued he fastened the rope about the second, and cried, “Here, my second brother, is thy portion!” But when it came the turn of the maiden who was the young prince’s own choice, she said to him:
“My prince, do thou go first and I surely will follow. Verily, I fear that thy brothers, seeing me, will be envious and leave thee in the well.”
But the prince would not listen. He scorned to leave his beloved one in the gloomy prison. So the maiden, sad at heart, gave him three hairs from her head, saying: “If it chance that they cut the rope which holds thee, instantly rub these hairs. Two sheep will appear at the foot of the well. If thou fallest upon the white one, thou wilt come, instantly, out upon the face of the earth. But, alas! shouldst thou strike upon the black one, he will carry thee seven leagues farther under the earth.”