Then the vizier said to her, “Verily, I will kill you, too, unless you will become my wife.”
“I pray you to give me half an hour’s grace in which to perform my ablutions and say my prayers. There must be a spring by that tree yonder.”
“Very well, it is granted,” said the vizier.
He ordered the carriage to halt, tied a rope around her waist—so that she could not escape—and permitted her to go as she had requested.
The princess went to the spring, untied the rope, fastened it about the tree, and fled around to the other side of the mountain. [[194]]
After some time the vizier pulled the rope; but, as it did not yield, he thought the princess was saying her prayers, and waited. After a while he said to himself: “It has been more than a half hour. What an interminable prayer she is saying! I will go and see about this.”
As he went over the little knoll, which had hid the princess from him, he discovered that his prey had escaped. Wild with anger, he turned about and made all haste to the palace, where he said to the prince:
“My lord, as we were resting by the way, Her Royal Highness, the princess, took her sons and stole away from the carriage. Is it not true, O, my prince! that no good thing can be expected from a wild mountain girl? That which comes from the mountains will return to them.”
When the prince received this news his mind took leave of his body and he fell down in a faint. Upon recovering he went into mourning, as if for the death of his wife and children.
Let these stay here while we inquire into the fate of the second-time wanderer.