He sat waiting till he saw the melon girl approaching softly like a shadow in the moonlight; then he ran forward and held her in his arms, kissing her and praising the Pelican who had brought them together.
While they sat under the palm-trees thus happily employed, a sound of galloping hoofs drew near, and Prince Hassan, in his dark cloak, rode into the palm grove, and, drawing his sword, rushed upon them. But, when he found the melon girl and not the lady he expected, he stood still.
“Where is the lady who was to come here at full moon?” he cried.
“Sir, there is no such person,” replied the young man. “A peasant woman came by not long ago, but she has gone into the fields.”
At the sound of Prince Hassan’s voice the lady behind the tomb nearly died of terror, for she knew that if he caught her he would certainly cut off her head. So she slipped away and ran to the river-bank while the Prince remained behind, questioning the lovers, and it chanced that the first person she met was a man on a trotting camel.
“If you will take me as fast as you can to the wall of Prince Hassan’s garden,” she said, “I will give you as much money as will make you rich for the rest of your life.”
The camel-driver asked nothing better, so he took the lady up behind him and went like a flash of lightning to the place to which she directed him.
Then, having asked his name, she entered by the little door in the wall and went to the jessamine-arbour, where she put on her own clothes, hid the others, and sat cooling herself in the night air and thanking heaven which had protected her.
In a short time Prince Hassan came riding back and entered the palace, calling her loudly.
“She is not here,” said the slaves, “we do not know where she has gone.”