"My dear prince, my child is fatigued at the long journey she undertook to come to you. Have patience, and you will soon be satisfied." During all this time, the poor Mirza, the real princess, wandered alone in the frightful desert in which she had been forsaken. She called for help, but no one came to her assistance. Her cries grew louder, and at last they attracted the attention of an old woman who was gathering herbs for the purpose of making medicine. "What do you wish, my beautiful child?" inquired the old woman. "Good mother, what are you doing here?" cried the princess. "I am looking for herbs that are necessary to make my medicine." "You can do better than that," said the princess. "Pick up the pearls that you find at my feet, and go into the city and sell them." The old woman obeyed, and returned with an apron full of gold, saying: "My child, what shall I do with this fortune?" "It is for you, my good woman, but on one condition." "What is that?" The poor blind girl smiled, and from her lips fell a rose so beautiful and sweet that there had been none like it before. Mirza answered: "Take this rose and go into the prince's city, and call out, 'Who will buy this flower? who will buy this rose?'" "And in order to please you," said the old woman, "how much must I sell it for?" "You must give it," said the princess, "for neither gold nor silver." "And for what shall I sell it?" said the old woman. "You shall demand an eye for it," said the princess. The old woman followed the directions to the letter. When she arrived in the city of the prince, she cried out: "Who will buy this flower? Who will buy this rose?" At these words, Mirza's deceitful servant ran to the window of the palace and asked: "Tell me, good woman, for what will you sell such a beautiful rose?" "I will sell it for an eye," said the old woman. "Heavens! what would you do with an eye?" said the maid-servant. "That is my affair," said the old woman. "Well, then," said the waiting-maid, "stay a moment;" and she ran to her room; and as she had been careful enough to save the eyes of her mistress, she took one and gave it to the old woman. "Take this, good woman," she exclaimed. "And here is your rose," said the old woman. At night, when the prince returned to the palace, his mother-in-law said to him: "See this beautiful rose. There is none like it in the flower-gardens. My daughter made it with a smile." "It came in good time," said the young prince, "but I can scarcely believe it. A thousand times I have seen your daughter smile, and nothing has fallen from her lips."