354 Collectanea.
Then he leaves him there and goes on. He sees a frightful demon resting his head in the lap of a most beauteous maiden who is as dazzling as the sun. The maiden is embroidering, and a golden hound and a golden black fox are playing about on a golden platter.
The maiden notices the Prince, and she says, — " Mortal, the serpent upon its belly and the fowl on its wings are not able to come hither. How have you come ? "
The Prince replies, — "Your love drew me, beauteous maiden."
" It is a pity for your youth. Flee from here. If the demon should wake, your ear would be the largest bit of you left whole," she says.
The Prince replies, — " Speak to him. Let him waken. I have come to fight against him."
Then the maiden says, — '^ If that is the case, heat that iron millstone pin, strike the feet of the demon with it, and he will waken.'"'
The Prince heats the iron pin, and strikes the demon's feet with it. The demon claps his feet together, and cries, — " Oh, the fleas are biting my foot ! "
The maiden says, — " What a black flea it is ! Arise and see ! A brave fellow has come to fight with you."
The demon rubs his eyes, and, peering at the Prince, exclaims, — "Oh, a featherless partridge ! It has fallen into the trap of itself! "
The Prince replies, — " Arise, let us see whether God will give you or me."
They fall to, and the Prince bastes this one to the ground also. He cuts his throat, stuffs his ears in his pocket, and goes back to the maiden. He brings all three to the same spot.
The maidens conduct the Prince to the treasure houses of the demons, and show him untold thousands of gold and silver pieces, jewels, weapons, and rich garments. Of all that there is he takes some of each and makes up three bundles just alike, (one for each of the maidens). But he retains for himself the magic sword,^
^The magic sword is the same as the "Zoulficar," concerning which M. Macler gives a note in his volume Contes Arminiens, (pp. 1S1-2). According to Bishop Servantsdiants, the Zoulficar was a sword made of iron extracted from stones of meteoric origin.
