one of the singers and played upon it with skill which witched
away the sense of all who heard. But it was all in vain; three
days passed in such festivities, and on the fourth the prince
said: 'O joy of my eyes! I beg now that you will bid me farewell,
for my way is long and the fire of your love darts flame into the
harvest of my heart. By heaven's grace I may accomplish my
purpose, and, if so, I will come back to you.'

Now she saw that she could not in any way change his resolve, she
told her nurse to bring a certain casket which contained, she
said, something exhilarating which would help the prince on his
journey. The box was brought, and she divided off a portion of
what was within and gave it to the prince to eat. Then, and
while he was all unaware, she put forth her hand to a stick
fashioned like a snake; she said some words over it and struck
him so sharply on the shoulder that he cried out; then he made a
pirouette and found that he was a deer.

When he knew what had been done to him he thought, 'All the
threads of affliction are gathered together; I have lost my last
chance!' He tried to escape, but the magician sent for her
goldsmith, who, coming, overlaid the deer-horns with gold and
jewels. The kerchief which that day she had had in her hand was
then tied round its neck, and this freed it from her attentions.

The prince-deer now bounded into the garden and at once sought
some way of escape. It found none, and it joined the other deer,
which soon made it their leader. Now, although the prince had
been transformed into the form of a deer, he kept his man's heart
and mind. He said to himself, 'Thank heaven that the Lady Latifa