Their only satisfaction in this sad predicament was that they could fly; and they often flew over on to the roofs in the city of Bagdad, to see what was going on.

For the first few days they observed great uneasiness and mourning in the streets. But, on the fourth day of their enchantment, as they were sitting on the roof of the caliph's palace, they saw in the street below a splendid procession. The drums and fifes sounded, and a man in a scarlet robe, embroidered with gold, came riding along on a richly caparisoned horse, surrounded by servants in glittering garments. Half the town were at his heels, and all were shouting, "Hail to Mizra! Caliph of Bagdad!" The two storks looked at each other as they sat on the roof, and the Caliph Chasid said, "Do not you begin to understand how I come to be enchanted, Grand Vizier? This Mizra is the son of my mortal enemy, the powerful enchanter, Kaschnur, who in an evil hour vowed vengeance against me. But I do not yet give up all hope. Come with me, faithful companion in misfortune; we will make a pilgrimage to the grave of the Prophet; perhaps the charm may be broken in sacred places."

So they raised themselves from the roof of the palace, and flew in the direction of Medina.

Flying, however, did not suit the two storks very well, on account of their want of practice. "Ah, Sir," groaned the vizier, after they had been flying a couple of hours, "with your permission—I cannot stand it any longer; you fly too fast! Besides, it is already growing dark, and we should do well to be looking out for some place to pass the night."

Chasid yielded to the request of his officer, and perceiving a ruined building in the valley below, they flew down to it. The place which they had pitched upon for their night-quarters, seemed to have been a castle. Beautiful columns were still standing among the ruins, and numerous chambers, which were in tolerable preservation, testified to the former splendor of the house. Chasid and his companion walked about the passages to find a dry spot; suddenly the stork Mansor stood still. "Lord and Master," whispered he, softly, "if it were not that it would be foolish for a grand vizier—and still more so for a stork—to be afraid of ghosts! I do not feel easy at all, for I heard some one sighing and moaning, quite plainly." The caliph also stopped, and heard distinctly a noise as of some one weeping, which sounded more like a human being than like an animal. Full of expectation, he was about to advance towards the place whence the sound proceeded; but the vizier seized him by the wing with his bill, and begged him earnestly not to expose himself to new unknown dangers; but in vain! The caliph, under whose stork-wings there beat a valiant heart, tore himself away with the loss of some feathers, and ran into a dark passage. He soon came to a door, which appeared not to be fastened, and from which proceeded distinct sighs and a slight hooting. He pushed the door open with his bill, but remained standing in astonishment on the threshold. In the ruinous chamber, which was lighted scantily by a small grated window, he saw a large owl sitting on the floor. Large tears were rolling from her great round eyes, and with a hoarse voice she uttered complaints from her crooked beak. But when she beheld the caliph and his vizier, who had crept after him in the mean time, she raised a loud cry of joy. Then she gracefully wiped the tears from her eyes with her brown-spotted wing, and, to the great astonishment of both, she cried out, in good human Arabic, "Welcome, ye storks; ye are a good omen of my deliverance, for it has been prophesied to me that a great good fortune would come to me through the means of some storks!"

When the caliph had recovered from his astonishment, he made a bow with his long neck, placed his thin feet in a graceful position, and said, "Owl! thy words would lead me to conclude that thou art a partaker of our misfortune. But alas! thy hope of being delivered by us is in vain. Thou wilt perceive our helplessness when thou hast heard our story." The owl begged him to relate it, and the caliph began, and told her what we already know.

When the caliph had finished telling their story to the owl, she thanked him, and said, "Hear, alas! my history, and you will see that I am not less unhappy than you. My father is the King of India, and I, his only daughter, am named Susa. The enchanter, Kaschnur, who enchanted you, brought me also into misery. He came one day to my father, and desired me for wife for his son Mizra. But my father, who is a quick-tempered person, had him kicked down stairs. The scoundrel contrived to come into my presence again under another form; and once, when I wished to take some refreshments in the garden, he brought to me, in the disguise of a slave, a potion which transformed me into this horrible shape. As I was powerless from fright, he brought me hither, and cried with a terrible voice into my ear,—"

"Here shalt thou remain, ugly and despised even by the beasts, until thy death; or until some one of his own accord shall desire to marry thee, even in this vile shape. Thus I revenge myself on thee and thy proud father."

"Since then, many months have elapsed. Solitary and sad, I live as a hermit in these walls, despised by the whole world, disgusting even to the beasts; the beauties of nature are shut from me, since I am blind by day, and, only when the moon pours her pale light over these walls, does the veil of darkness fall from my eyes."

She ended, and wiped her tears again with her wing, for the narration of her sorrows had caused her to weep.

The caliph pondered deeply on the story of the princess. "If I am not entirely in error," said he, "there is a secret connection between our misfortunes; but where shall I find the key to this riddle?"

The owl answered, "Sir, I have also the same feeling; for it was prophesied to me, in my earliest youth, by a wise woman, that a stork would bring me great good luck; and perhaps I can tell in what manner we may deliver ourselves."

The caliph was much amazed, and asked in what manner she meant. "The enchanter," said she, "who has rendered us both unhappy, comes once every month to these ruins. Not far from this chamber, there is a hall in which he is accustomed to revel with many comrades; I have often watched them there. They relate to each other their villanous deeds, and perhaps he may pronounce the magic word which you have forgotten."

"O dearest Princess," exclaimed the caliph, "tell me when will he come, and where is the hall?"

The owl was silent for a moment, and then said,—

"Do not take it ill, but I can fulfil your wish only on one condition."

"What is it? what is it?" cried Chasid; "whatever you please; I will agree to any thing."

"Why, I should like to obtain my own liberty also; but this is possible only on condition that one of you shall marry me."

The storks seemed somewhat embarrassed by this proposal, and the caliph motioned to his officer to go out with him a moment.

"Grand Vizier," said the caliph, when they got outside of the door, "this is a stupid business, but I should think you might marry her."

"Indeed!" answered he; "do you wish to have my eyes scratched out by my wife as soon as I get home? Besides, I am an old man, and you are young and unmarried; it would be more reasonable for you to give your hand to a beautiful young princess."

"Ay, but there's the rub," sighed the caliph, drooping his wings composedly; "who told you that she was young and beautiful? That is what I call buying a pig in a poke!"

So they talked a long while about it, till, at last, as the caliph saw that his vizier preferred remaining a stork to marrying the owl, he made up his mind to fulfil the condition himself. The owl was highly delighted. She informed them that they could not have come at a better time, for probably the enchanters would assemble that night.

She left the chamber with the storks, to conduct them to the hall; they walked for a long