they are to be snared, and which will catch them either by the neck or by the leg.
The Princesses are invited to enter a gorgeous palace:—
“Come down, pigeons, in your myriads,
And perch upon the ‘Ivory Hall,’
(That is) carpeted with silver, and railed with amalgam,
(Come down) to the dishes of Her Highness Princess Lebar Nyiru (Broad-
sieve).”^51
The “dishes of Her Highness Princess Broad-sieve” cleverly suggest an
abundance of provender such as is likely to appeal to a hungry bird!
In another version the three Princesses are invited to enter the “Palace Tower”
called “Fatimah Passes” (Mahaligei Fatimah Lalu).
Moreover those who issue the invitation are no respecters of persons:—
“Let those which are near, arrive the first,
Let those which are far off be sent for,
Let those which have eggs, leave their eggs,
Those which have young, leave their young,
Those which are blind, be led by others,
Those which have broken limbs, come on crutches;
Come and assemble in King Solomon’s Audience-Chamber.”^52And a similar passage in another charm says—
“Let those which are near, arrive the first,
Let those which are far off be sent for,
Cluck! cluck! souls of the children of forest doves,
Come ye down and assemble together
In the fold of God and King Solomon.”If blandishments fail, however, there is to be no doubt about the punishments in
store for their wilful Highnesses: thus, a little later, we find the alternative, a
thoroughgoing imprecation calculated to “convince” the most headstrong of
birds:—