"Why did you come here, miserable creatures? Dare you even pretend to take from me the pearl of pearls, the beauty without rival that I have on my arm, my pretty prisoner, the Princess of Golconda?" "Yes," said the Prince; "and all your magic will serve to confound you, if you do not use your superhuman art." "So be it," assented Magor. "I will not crush you like an earthworm. I will do better. I will give you the lady of your dreams, but upon one condition only." "Name it!" cried Prince Erian. "It is this: that during three days in succession, and precisely at twelve o'clock, you must present the Princess of Golconda to me in the large hall of the Castle." "That is an easy thing to do," said Prince Erian. "You are mad!" cried Magor. "Reflect before you accept the challenge, for if you permit the Princess to escape all will be over with you. That moment you and your companions shall be changed into statues." "No matter," said the Prince. "I accept." "If, at the appointed hour," the King of the Sorcerers explained, "you present to me the Princess of Golconda, one of the iron rings that I wear around my waist will fall off, and if all three should break, one after the other, you will be victorious over me—over Magor, the King of the Magicians." Then Prince Erian took the arm of the lady of his dreams, the beautiful Princess of Golconda, and conducted her to the hall that Magor had pointed out to him. After the three days of the trial, the charming Princess would be his own—all his own. With what happiness, he thought, would he present her to his father! "Here," he would say, "is the wife I have chosen. Magor, the King of the Magicians, disputed my right to her, and him I have overthrown!" But what precautions they were compelled to use! Prince Erian closed the door carefully and then ordered Long to stretch himself all around the hall. Large was told to expand himself so as to stop up the windows, and Keen Eyes was made to loosen the bandage around his eyes. When all these preparations had been made, there was only a small space left for the beautiful Princess and Prince Erian. "Keen Eyes," said the young Prince, "we must be careful; we must not fall asleep; we must watch to-night." "Yes, master," responded Keen Eyes, "we must drive away sleep." Nevertheless, worn out as they were, they soon closed their eyes, and in a few moments they were sound asleep. At dawn the next day, Prince Erian was the first to awake. But the beautiful Princess had disappeared. The young Prince, filled with mingled grief and astonishment, called out to his companions: "Awake, my friends! Awake!" "What is the matter, master? What is the matter?" they cried: "An irreparable misfortune has befallen me! The Princess has disappeared! Search and see if you can find her anywhere." Long, Large, and the young Prince searched everywhere, examining every piece of furniture, but they did not find the beautiful young Princess.