Page:Specimens of German Romance (Volume 2).djvu/67

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Master Flea.
59

the genius, Thetel, with the fair Gamaheh, and at the same moment there fell upon one,—but that is nothing to the present matter. Both magicians had recognised the genius, but not the princess, and exhausted themselves in all manner of conjectures as to the meaning of this appearance, without being able to get at any thing certain, or even probable. Soon after this the unhappy fate of the princess became generally known in Famagusta, and now the magicians knew how to interpret the vision of the genius with the maiden in his arms. Both imagined that the genius must certainly have found some means of recalling the princess into life, and resolved to make inquiries in Samarcand, where, according to their observations, he had manifestly directed his flight. But in Samarcand all were silent about the princess; no one knew a word.

Many years had passed; the two magicians had quarrelled, as it will happen with learned men, and the more learned the oftener,—and they only imparted to each other their most important discoveries from the iron force of custom