search of my father, and my uncles, and my mother whom a wicked
enchanter bewitched."

Then the Malee's wife said, "This country and this palace belong to a
great enchanter; he is all powerful, and if anyone displeases him, he
can turn them into stones and trees. All the rocks and trees you see
here were living people once, and the Magician turned them to what they
now are. Some time ago a Raja's son came here, and shortly afterward
came his six brothers, and they were all turned into stones and trees;
and these are not the only unfortunate ones, for up in that tower lives
a beautiful Princess, whom the Magician has kept prisoner there for
twelve years, because she hates him and will not marry him."

Then the little Prince thought, "These must be my parents and my
uncles. I have found what I seek at last." So he told his story to
the Malee's wife, and begged her to help him to remain in that place
awhile and inquire further concerning the unhappy people she mentioned;
and she promised to befriend him, and advised his disguising himself
lest the Magician should see him, and turn him likewise into stone. To
this the Prince agreed. So the Malee's wife dressed him up in a saree,
and pretended that he was her daughter.

One day, not long after this, as the Magician was walking in his garden
he saw the little girl (as he thought) playing about, and asked her who
she was. She told him she was the Malee's daughter, and the Magician
said, "You are a pretty little girl, and to-morrow you shall take a
present of flowers from me to the beautiful lady who lives in the
tower."

The young Prince was much delighted at hearing this, and went