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Fairy Tales from the Arabian Nights

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Title: Fairy Tales from the Arabian Nights

Editor: E. Dixon


        
Release date: July 1, 2005 [eBook #8599]
                Most recently updated: December 26, 2020

Language: English

Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8599

Credits: Produced by Wendy Crockett and JC Byers


*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAIRY TALES FROM THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ***




Produce by Wendy Crockett and JC Byers





               Fairy Tales from the Arabian Nights.
                           First Series.



                        Edited by E. Dixon



Note.

The text of the present selection from the Arabian Nights is that
of Galland, 1821, slightly abridged and edited. The edition is
designed virginibus puerisque.

E. DIXON.
Cambridge,
Xmas, 1893.





CONTENTS.


The King of Persia and the Princess of the Sea
Prince Beder and the Princess Giauhara (A Sequel to the Foregoing)
The Three Princes and Princess Nouronnihar
Prince Ahmed and the Fairy (A Sequel to the Foregoing)
Prince Camaralzaman and the Princess of China
The Loss of the Talisman (A Sequel to the Foregoing)
The Story of Zobeide
The Story of the King's Son
The First Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor
The Second Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor
The Third Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor
The Fourth Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor
The Fifth Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor
The Sixth Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor
The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor






          THE KING OF PERSIA AND THE PRINCESS OF THE SEA.



There once was a king of Persia, who at the beginning of his reign
had distinguished himself by many glorious and successful
conquests, and had afterwards enjoyed such profound peace and
tranquillity as rendered him the happiest of monarchs. His only
occasion for regret was that he had no heir to succeed him in the
kingdom after his death. One day, according to the custom of his
royal predecessors during their residence in the capital, he held
an assembly of his courtiers, at which all the ambassadors and
strangers of renown at his court were present. Among these there
appeared a merchant from a far-distant country, who sent a message
to the king craving an audience, as he wished to speak to him about
a very important matter. The king gave orders for the merchant to
be instantly admitted; and when the assembly was over, and all the
rest of the company had retired, the king inquired what was the
business which had brought him to the palace.

'Sire,' replied the merchant, 'I have with me, and beg your majesty
to behold, the most beautiful and charming slave it would be
possible to find if you searched every corner of the earth; if you
will but see her, you will surely wish to make her your wife.'

The fair slave was, by the king's commands, immediately brought in,
and no sooner had the king beheld a lady whose beauty and grace
surpassed anything he had ever imagined, than he fell passionately
in love with her, and determined to marry her at once. This was
done.

So the king caused the fair slave to be lodged in the next finest
apartment to his own, and gave particular orders to the matrons and
the women-slaves appointed to attend her, that they should dress
her in the richest robe they could find, and carry her the finest
pearl necklaces, the brightest diamonds, and other the richest
precious stones, that she might choose those she liked best.

The King of Persia's capital was situated in an island; and his
palace, which was very magnificent, was built upon the sea-shore;
his window looked towards the sea; and the fair slave's, which was
pretty near it, had also the same prospect, and it was the more
pleasant on account of the sea's beating almost against the foot of
the wall.

At the end of three days the fair slave, magnificently dressed, was
alone in her chamber, sitting upon a sofa, and leaning against one
of the windows that faced the sea, when the king, being informed
that he might visit her, came in. The slave hearing somebody walk
in the room, immediately turned her head to see who it was. She
knew him to be the king; but without showing the least surprise, or
so much as rising from her seat to salute or receive him, she
turned back to the window again as if he had been the most
insignificant person in the world.

The King of Persia was extremely surprised to see a slave of so
beauteous a form so very ignorant of the world. He attributed this
to the narrowness of her education, and the little care that had
been taken to instruct her in the first rules of civility. He went
to her at the window, where, notwithstanding the coldness and
indifference with which she had just now received him, she suffered
herself to be admired, kissed and embraced as much as he pleased,
but answered him not a word.

'My dearest life,' said the king, 'you neither answer, nor by any
visible token give me the least reason to believe that you are
listening to me. Why will you still keep to this obstinate silence,
which chills me? Do you mourn for your country, your friends, or
your relations? Alas! is not the King of Persia, who loves and
adores you, capable of comforting, and making you amends for the
loss of everything in the world?'

But the fair slave continued her astonishing reserve; and keeping
her eyes still fixed upon the ground, would neither look at him nor
utter a word; but after they had dined together in absolute
silence, the king went to the women whom he had assigned to the
fair slave as her attendants, and asked them if they had ever heard
her speak.

One of them presently made answer, 'Sire, we have neither seen her
open her lips, nor heard her speak any more than your majesty has
just now; we have rendered her our services; we have combed and
dressed her hair, put on her clothes, and waited upon her in her
chamber; but she has never opened her lips, so much as to say, That
is well, or, I like this. We have often asked, Madam, do you want
anything? Is there anything you wish for? Do but ask and command
us: but we have never been able to draw a word from her. We cannot
tell whether her silence proceeds from pride, sorrow, stupidity, or
dumbness; and this is all we can inform your majesty.'

The King of Persia was more astonished at hearing this than he was
before: however, believing the slave might have some reason for
sorrow, he endeavoured to divert and amuse her, but all in vain.
For a whole year she never afforded him the pleasure of a single
word.

At length, one day there were great rejoicings in the capital,
because to the king and his silent slave-queen there was born a son
and heir to the kingdom. Once more the king endeavoured to get a
word from his wife. 'My queen,' he said, 'I cannot divine what your
thoughts are; but, for my own part, nothing would be wanting to
complete my happiness and crown my joy but that you should speak to
me one single word, for something within me tells me you are not
dumb: and I beseech, I conjure you, to break through this long
silence, and speak but one word to me; and after that I care not
how soon I die.'

At this discourse the fair slave, who, according to her usual
custom, had hearkened to the king with downcast eyes, and had given
him cause to believe not only that she was dumb, but that she had
never laughed in her life, began to smile a little. The King of
Persia perceived it with a surprise that made him break forth into
an exclamation of joy; and no longer doubting but that she was
going to speak, he waited for that happy moment with an eagerness
and attention that cannot easily be expressed.

At last the fair slave, breaking her long-kept silence, thus
addressed herself to the king: 'Sire,' said she, 'I have so many
things to say to your majesty, that, having once broken silence, I
know not where to begin. However, in the first place, I think
myself in duty bound to thank you for all the favours and honours
you have been pleased to confer upon me, and to implore Heaven to
bless and prosper you, to prevent the wicked designs of your
enemies, and not to suffer you to die after hearing me speak, but
to grant you a long life. Had it never been my fortune to have
borne a child, I was resolved (I beg your majesty to pardon the
sincerity of my intention) never to have loved you, as well as to
have kept an eternal silence; but now I love you as I ought to do.'

The King of Persia, ravished to hear the fair slave speak, embraced
her tenderly. 'Shining light of my eyes,' said he, 'it is
impossible for me to receive a greater joy than what you have now
given me.'

The King of Persia, in the transport of his joy, said no more to
the fair slave. He left her, but in such a manner as made her
perceive that his intention was speedily to return: and being
willing that his joy should be made public, he sent in all haste
for the grand vizier. As soon as he came, he ordered him to
distribute a thousand pieces of gold among the holy men of his
religion, who had made vows of poverty; as also among the hospitals
and the poor, by way of returning thanks to Heaven: and his will
was obeyed by the direction of that minister.

After the King of Persia had given this order, he returned to the
fair slave again. 'Madam,' said he, 'pardon me for leaving you so
abruptly, but I hope you will indulge me with some conversation,
since I am desirous to know several things of great consequence.
Tell me, my dearest soul, what were the powerful reasons that
induced you to persist in that obstinate silence for a whole year
together, though you saw me, heard me talk to you, and ate and
drank with me every day.'

To satisfy the King of Persia's curiosity, 'Think,' replied the
queen, 'whether or no to be a slave, far from my own country,
without any hopes of ever seeing it again,--to have a heart torn
with grief at being separated for ever from my mother, my brother,
my friends, and my acquaintance,--are not these sufficient reasons
for my keeping a silence your majesty has thought so strange and
unaccountable? The love of our native country is as natural to us
as that of our parents; and the loss of liberty is insupportable to
every one who is not wholly destitute of common sense, and knows
how to set a value on it.'

'Madam,' replied the king, 'I am convinced of the truth of what you
say; but till this moment I was of opinion that a person beautiful
like yourself, whom her evil destiny had condemned to be a slave,
ought to think herself very happy in meeting with a king for her
master.'

'Sire,' replied the fair slave, 'whatever the slave is, there is no
king on earth who can tyrannise over her will. But when this very
slave is in nothing inferior to the king that bought her, your
majesty shall then judge yourself of her misery, and her sorrow,
and to what desperate attempts the anguish of despair may drive
her.'

The King of Persia, in great astonishment, said 'Madam, can it be
possible that you are of royal blood? Explain the whole secret to
me, I beseech you, and no longer increase my impatience. Let me
instantly know who are your parents, your brothers, your sisters,
and your relations; but, above all, what your name is.'

'Sire,' said the fair slave, 'my name is Gulnare, Rose of the Sea;
and my father, who is now dead, was one of the most potent monarchs
of the ocean. When he died, he left his kingdom to a brother of
mine, named Saleh, and to the queen, my mother, who is also a
princess, the daughter of another powerful monarch of the sea. We
enjoyed a profound peace and tranquillity through the whole
kingdom, till a neighbouring prince, envious of our happiness,
invaded our dominions with a mighty army; and penetrating as far as
our capital, made himself master of it; and we had but just time
enough to save ourselves in an impenetrable and inaccessible place,
with a few trusty officers who did not forsake us in our distress.

'In this retreat my brother contrived all manner of ways to drive
the unjust invader from our dominions. One day "Sister," said he,
"I may fail in the attempt I intend to make to recover my kingdom;
and I shall be less concerned for my own disgrace than for what may
possibly happen to you. To prevent it, and to secure you from all
accident, I would fain see you married first: but in the miserable
condition of our affairs at present, I see no probability of
matching you to any of the princes of the sea; and therefore I
should be very glad if you would think of marrying some of the
princes of the earth I am ready to contribute all that lies in my
power towards it; and I am certain there is not one of them,
however powerful, but would be proud of sharing his crown with
you."

'At this discourse of my brother's, I fell into a violent passion.
"Brother," said I, "you know that I am descended, as well as you,
by both father's and mother's side, from the kings and queens of
the sea, without any mixture of alliance with those of the earth;
therefore I do not intend to marry below myself, any more than they
did. The condition to which we are reduced shall never oblige me to
alter my resolution; and if you perish in the execution of your
design, I am prepared to fall with you, rather than to follow the
advice I so little expected from you."

'My brother, who was still earnest for the marriage, however
improper for me, endeavoured to make me believe that there were
kings of the earth who were nowise inferior to those of the sea.
This put me into a more violent passion, which occasioned him to
say several bitter words that stung me to the quick. He left me as
much dissatisfied with myself as he could possibly be with me; and
in this peevish mood I gave a spring from the bottom of the sea up
to the island of the moon.

'Notwithstanding the violent displeasure that made me cast myself
upon that island, I lived content in retirement. But in spite of
all my precautions, a person of distinction, attended by his
servants, surprised me sleeping, and carried me to his own house,
and wished me to marry him. When he saw that fair means would not
prevail upon me, he attempted to make use of force; but I soon made
him repent of his insolence. So at last he resolved to sell me;
which he did to that very merchant who brought me hither and sold
me to your majesty. This man was a very prudent, courteous, humane
person, and during the whole of the long journey, never gave me the
least reason to complain.

'As for your majesty,' continued Queen Gulnare, 'if you had not
shown me all the respect you have hitherto paid, and given me such
undeniable marks of your affection that I could no longer doubt of
it, I hesitate not to tell you plainly that I should not have
remained with you. I would have thrown myself into the sea out of
this very window, and I would have gone in search of my mother, my
brother, and the rest of my relations; and, therefore, I hope you
will no longer look upon me as a slave, but as a princess worthy of
your alliance.'

After this manner Queen Gulnare discovered herself to the King of
Persia, and finished her story. 'My charming, my adorable queen,'
cried he, 'what wonders have I heard! I must ask a thousand
questions concerning those strange and unheard-of things which you
have related to me. I beseech you to tell me more about the kingdom
and people of the sea, who are altogether unknown to me. I have
heard much talk, indeed, of the inhabitants of the sea, but I
always looked upon it as nothing but a tale or fable; but, by what
you have told me, I am convinced there is nothing more true; and I
have a very good proof of it in your own person, who are one of
them, and are pleased to condescend to be my wife; which is an
honour no other inhabitant on the earth can boast of besides
myself. There is one thing yet which puzzles me; therefore I must
beg the favour of you to explain it; that is, I cannot comprehend
how it is possible for you to live or move in the water without
being drowned. There are very few amongst us who have the art of
staying under water; and they would surely perish, if, after a
certain time, they did not come up again.'

'Sire,' replied Queen Gulnare, 'I shall with pleasure satisfy the
King of Persia. We can walk at the bottom of the sea with as much
ease as you can upon land; and we can breathe in the water as you
do in the air; so that instead of suffocating us, as it does you,
it absolutely contributes to the preservation of our lives. What is
yet more remarkable is, that it never wets our clothes; so that
when we have a mind to visit the earth, we have no occasion to dry
them. Our common language is the same as that of the writing
engraved upon the seal of the great prophet Solomon, the son of
David.

'I must not forget to tell you, further, that the water does not in
the least hinder us from seeing in the sea; for we can open our
eyes without any inconvenience; and as we have quick, piercing
sight, we can discern any object as clearly in the deepest part of
the sea as upon land. We have also there a succession of day and
night; the moon affords us her light, and even the planets and the
stars appear visible to us. I have already spoken of our kingdoms;
but as the sea is much more spacious than the earth, so there are a
greater number of them, and of greater extent. They are divided
into provinces; and in each province there are several great
cities, well peopled. In short, there are an infinite number of
nations, differing in manners and customs, just as upon the earth.

'The palaces of the kings and princes are very sumptuous and
magnificent. Some of them are of marble of various colours; others
of rock-crystal, with which the sea abounds, mother of pearl,
coral, and of other materials more valuable; gold, silver, and all
sorts of precious stones are more plentiful there than on earth. I
say nothing of the pearls, since the largest that ever were seen
upon earth would not be valued amongst us; and none but the very
lowest rank of citizens would wear them.

'As we can transport ourselves whither we please in the twinkling
of an eye, we have no occasion for any carriages or riding-horses;
not but what the king has his stables, and his stud of sea-horses;
but they are seldom made use of, except upon public feasts or
rejoicing days. Some, after they have trained them, take delight in
riding them, and show their skill and dexterity in races; others
put them to chariots of mother-of-pearl, adorned with an infinite
number of shells of all sorts, of the brightest colours. These
chariots are open; and in the middle there is a throne upon which
the king sits, and shows himself to his subjects. The horses are
trained up to draw by themselves; so that there is no occasion for
a charioteer to guide them. I pass over a thousand other curious
particulars relating to these marine countries, which would be very
entertaining to your majesty; but you must permit me to defer it to
a future leisure, to speak of something of much greater
consequence. I should like to send for my mother and my cousins,
and at the same time to desire the king my brother's company, to
whom I have a great desire to be reconciled. They will be very glad
to see me again, after I have related my story to them, and when
they understand I am wife to the mighty king of Persia. I beseech
your majesty to give me leave to send for them: I am sure they will
be happy to pay their respects to you; and I venture to say you
will be extremely pleased to see them.'

'Madam,' replied the King of Persia, 'you are mistress; do whatever
you please; I will endeavour to receive them with all the honours
they deserve. But I would fain know how you would acquaint them
with what you desire, and when they will arrive, that I may give
orders to make preparation for their reception, and go myself in
person to meet them.'

'Sire,' replied the Queen Gulnare, 'there is no need of these
ceremonies; they will be here in a moment; and if your Majesty will
but look through the lattice, you shall see the manner of their
arrival.'

Queen Gulnare then ordered one of her women to bring her a brazier
with a little fire. After that she bade her retire, and shut the
door. When she was alone, she took a piece of aloes out of a box,
and put it into the brazier. As soon as she saw the smoke rise, she
repeated some words unknown to the King of Persia, who from a
recess observe with great attention all that she did. She had no
sooner ended, than the sea began to be disturbed. At length the sea
opened at some distance; and presently there rose out of it a tall,
handsome young man, with moustaches of a sea-green colour; a little
behind him, a lady, advanced in years, but of a majestic air,
attended by five young ladies, nowise inferior in beauty to the
Queen Gulnare.

Queen Gulnare immediately went to one of the windows, and saw the
king her brother, the queen her mother, and the rest of her
relations, who at the same time perceived her also. The company
came forward, borne, as it were, upon the surface of the waves.
When they came to the edge, they nimbly, one after another, sprang
up to the window, from whence Queen Gulnare had retired to make
room for them. King Saleh, the queen her mother, and the rest of
her relations, embraced her tenderly, with tears in their eyes, on
their first entrance.

After Queen Gulnare had received them with all imaginable honour,
and made them sit down upon a sofa, the queen her mother addressed
herself to her: 'Daughter,' said she, 'I am overjoyed to see you
again after so long an absence; and I am confident that your
brother and your relations are no less so. Your leaving us without
acquainting anybody with it involved us in inexpressible concern;
and it is impossible to tell you how many tears we have shed upon
that account. We know of no other reason that could induce you to
take such a surprising step, but what your brother told us of the
conversation that passed between him and you. The advice he gave
you seemed to him at that time very advantageous for settling you
handsomely in the world, and very suitable to the then posture of
our affairs. If you had not approved of his proposal, you ought not
to have been so much alarmed; and, give me leave to tell you, you
took the thing in a quite different light from what you ought to
have done. But no more of this; we and you ought now to bury it for
ever in oblivion: give us an account of all that has happened to
you since we saw you last, and of your present situation; but
especially let us know if you are satisfied.'

Queen Gulnare immediately threw herself at her mother's feet; and
after rising and kissing her hand, 'I own,' said she, 'I have been
guilty of a very great fault, and I am indebted to your goodness
for the pardon which you are pleased to grant me.' She then related
the whole of what had befallen her since she quitted the sea.

As soon as she had acquainted them with her having been sold to the
King of Persia, in whose palace she was at present; 'Sister,' said
the king her brother, 'you now have it in your power to free
yourself. Rise, and return with us into my kingdom, that I have
reconquered from the proud usurper who had made himself master of
it.'

The King of Persia, who heard these words from the recess where he
was concealed, was in the utmost alarm. 'Ah!' said he to himself,
'I am ruined; and if my queen, my Gulnare, hearkens to this advice,
and leaves me, I shall surely die.' But Queen Gulnare soon put him
out of his fears.

'Brother,' said she, smiling, 'I can scarce forbear being angry
with you for advising me to break the engagement I have made with
the most puissant and most renowned monarch in the world. I do not
speak here of an engagement between a slave and her master; it
would be easy to return the ten thousand pieces of gold that I cost
him; but I speak now of a contract between a wife and a husband,
and a wife who has not the least reason to complain. He is a
religious, wise, and temperate king. I am his wife, and he has
declared me Queen of Persia, to share with him in his councils.
Besides, I have a child, the little Prince Beder. I hope then
neither my mother, nor you, nor any of my cousins, will disapprove
of the resolution or the alliance I have made, which will be an
equal honour to the kings of the sea and the earth. Excuse me for
giving you the trouble of coming hither from the bottom of the
deep, to communicate it to you, and for the pleasure of seeing you
after so long a separation.'

'Sister,' replied King Saleh, 'the proposal I made you of going
back with us into my kingdom was only to let you see how much we
all love you, and how much I in particular honour you, and that
nothing in the world is so dear to me as your happiness.'

The queen confirmed what her son had just spoken, and addressing
herself to Queen Gulnare, said, 'I am very glad to hear you are
pleased; and I have nothing else to add to what your brother has
just said to you. I should have been the first to have condemned
you, if you had not expressed all the gratitude you owe to a
monarch that loves you so passionately, and has done such great
things for you.'

When the King of Persia, who was still in the recess, heard this he
began to love her more than ever, and resolved to express his
gratitude in every possible way.

Presently Queen Gulnare clapped her hands, and in came some of her
slaves, whom she had ordered to bring in a meal: as soon as it was
served up, she invited the queen her mother, the king her brother,
and her cousins, to sit down and take part of it. They began to
reflect, that without asking leave, they had got into the palace of
a mighty king, who had never seen nor heard of them, and that it
would be a great piece of rudeness to eat at his table without him.
This reflection raised a blush in their faces; in their emotion
their eyes glowed like fire, and they breathed flames at their
mouths and nostrils.

This unexpected sight put the King of Persia, who was totally
ignorant of the cause of it, into a dreadful consternation. Queen
Gulnare suspecting this, and understanding the intention of her
relations, rose from her seat, and told them she would be back in a
moment. She went directly to the recess, and recovered the King of
Persia from his surprise.

'Sir,' said she, 'give me leave to assure you of the sincere
friendship that the queen my mother and the king my brother are
pleased to honour you with: they earnestly desire to see you, and
tell you so themselves: I intended to have some conversation with
them by ordering a banquet for them, before I introduced them to
your majesty, but they are very impatient to pay their respects to
you: and therefore I desire your majesty would be pleased to walk
in, and honour them with your presence.'

'Madam,' said the King of Persia, 'I should be very glad to salute
persons that have the honour to be so nearly related to you, but I
am afraid of the flames that they breathe at their mouths and
nostrils.'

'Sir,' replied the queen, laughing, 'you need not in the least be
afraid of those flames, which are nothing but a sign of their
unwillingness to eat in your palace, without your honouring them
with your presence, and eating with them.'

The King of Persia, encouraged by these words, rose up, and came
out into the room with his Queen Gulnare. She presented him to the
queen her mother, to the king her brother, and to her other
relations, who instantly threw themselves at his feet, with their
faces to the ground. The King of Persia ran to them, and lifting
them up, embraced them one after another. After they were all
seated, King Saleh began: 'Sir,' said he to the King of Persia, 'we
are at a loss for words to express our joy to think that the queen
my sister should have the happiness of falling under the protection
of so powerful a monarch. We can assure you she is not unworthy of
the high rank you have been pleased to raise her to; and we have
always had so much love and tenderness for her, that we could never
think of parting with her to any of the puissant princes of the
sea, who often demanded her in marriage before she came of age.
Heaven has reserved her for you, Sir, and we have no better way of
returning thanks to it for the favour it has done her, than by
beseeching it to grant your majesty a long and happy life with her,
and to crown you with prosperity and satisfaction.'

'Certainly,' replied the King of Persia, 'I cannot sufficiently
thank either the queen her mother, or you, Prince, or your whole
family, for the generosity with which you have consented to receive
me into an alliance so glorious to me as yours.' So saying, he
invited them to take part of the luncheon, and he and his queen sat
down at the table with them. After it was over, the King of Persia
conversed with them till it was very late; and when they thought it
time to retire, he waited upon them himself to the several rooms he
had ordered to be prepared for them.

Next day, as the King of Persia, Queen Gulnare, the queen her
mother, King Saleh her brother, and the princesses their relations,
were discoursing together in her majesty's room, the nurse came in
with the young Prince Beder in her arms. King Saleh no sooner saw
him, than he ran to embrace him; and taking him in his arms, fell
to kissing and caressing him with the greatest demonstration of
tenderness. He took several turns with him about the room, dancing
and tossing him about, when all of a sudden, through a transport of
joy, the window being open, he sprang out, and plunged with him
into the sea.

The King of Persia, who expected no such sight, set up a hideous
cry, verily believing that he should either see the dear prince his
son no more, or else that he should see him drowned; and he nearly
died of grief and affliction. 'Sir,' said Queen Gulnare (with a
quiet and undisturbed countenance, the better to comfort him), 'let
your majesty fear nothing; the young prince is my son as well as
yours, and I do not love him less than you do. You see I am not
alarmed; neither in truth ought I to be so. He runs no risk, and
you will soon see the king his uncle appear with him again, and
bring him back safe and sound. For he will have the same advantage
his uncle and I have, of living equally in the sea and upon the
land.' The queen his mother and the princesses his relations
confirmed the same thing; yet all they said had no effect on the
king's fright, from which he could not recover till he saw Prince
Beder appear again before him.

The sea at length became troubled, when immediately King Saleh
arose with the young prince in his arms, and holding him up in the
air, he re-entered at the same window he went out at. The King of
Persia being overjoyed to see Prince Beder again, and astonished
that he was as calm as before he lost sight of him, King Saleh
said, 'Sir, was not your majesty in a great fright, when you first
saw me plunge into the sea with the prince my nephew?'

'Alas! Prince,' answered the King of Persia, 'I cannot express my
concern. I thought him lost from that very moment, and you now
restore life to me by bringing him again.'

'I thought as much,' replied King Saleh, 'though you had not the
least reason to apprehend any danger; for, before I plunged into
the sea with him I pronounced over him certain mysterious words,
which were engraven on the seal of the great Solomon, the son of
David. We do the same to all those children that are born in the
regions at the bottom of the sea, by virtue of which they receive
the same privileges that we have over those people who inhabit the
earth. From what your majesty has observed, you may easily see what
advantage your son Prince Beder has acquired by his birth, for as
long as he lives, and as often as he pleases, he will be at liberty
to plunge into the sea, and traverse the vast empires it contains
in its bosom.'

Having so spoken, King Saleh, who had restored Prince Beder to his
nurse's arms, opened a box he had fetched from his palace in the
little time he had disappeared. It was filled with three hundred
diamonds, as large as pigeons' eggs, a like number of rubies of
extraordinary size, as many emerald wands, each half a foot long,
and thirty strings or necklaces of pearl, consisting each of ten
feet. 'Sir,' said he to the King of Persia, presenting him with
this box, 'when I was first summoned by the queen my sister, I knew
not what part of the earth she was in, or that she had the honour
to be married to so great a monarch. This made us come empty
handed. As we cannot express how much we have been obliged to your
majesty, I beg you to accept this small token of gratitude, in
acknowledgment of the many particular favours you have been pleased
to show her.'

It is impossible to express how greatly the King of Persia was
surprised at the sight of so much riches, enclosed in so little
compass. 'What! Prince,' cried he, 'do you call so inestimable a
present a small token of your gratitude? I declare once more, you
have never been in the least obliged to me, neither the queen your
mother nor you. Madam,' continued he, turning to Gulnare, 'the king
your brother has put me into the greatest confusion; and I would
beg of him to permit me to refuse his present, were I not afraid of
disobliging him; do you therefore endeavour to obtain his leave
that I may be excused accepting it.'

'Sir,' replied King Saleh, 'I am not at all surprised that your
majesty thinks this present so extraordinary. I know you are not
accustomed upon earth to see precious stones of this quality and
quantity: but if you knew, as I do, the mines whence these jewels
were taken, and that it is in my power to form a treasure greater
than those of all the kings of the earth, you would wonder we
should have the boldness to make you a present of so small a value.
I beseech you, therefore, not to regard it in that light, but on
account of the sincere friendship which obliges us to offer it to
you not to give us the mortification of refusing it.' This obliged
the King of Persia to accept the present, for which he returned
many thanks both to King Saleh and the queen his mother.

A few days after, King Saleh gave the King of Persia to understand
that the queen his mother, the princesses his relations and
himself, could have no greater pleasure than to spend their whole
lives at his court; but that having been so long absent from their
own kingdom, where their presence was absolutely necessary, they
begged of him not to take it ill if they took leave of him and
Queen Gulnare. The King of Persia assured them he was very sorry
that it was not in his power to return their visit in their own
dominions; but he added, 'As I am verily persuaded you will not
forget Queen Gulnare, but come and see her now and then, I hope I
shall have the honour to see you again more than once.'

Many tears were shed on both sides upon their separation. King
Saleh departed first; but the queen his mother, and the princesses
his relations, were fain to force themselves in a manner from the
embraces of Queen Gulnare, who could not prevail upon herself to
let them go. This royal company were no sooner out of sight than
the King of Persia said to Queen Gulnare, 'Madam, I should have
looked with suspicion upon the person that had pretended to pass
those off upon me for true wonders, of which I myself have been an
eye-witness from the time I have been honoured with your
illustrious family at my court. But I cannot refuse to believe my
own eyes; and shall remember it as long as I live, and never cease
to bless Heaven for sending you to me, instead of to any other
prince.'





              PRINCE BEDER AND THE PRINCESS GIAUHARA.



Young Prince Beder was brought up and educated in the palace under
the care of the King and Queen of Persia. He gave them great
pleasure as he advanced in years by his agreeable manners, and by
the justness of whatever he said; King Saleh his uncle, the queen
his grandmother, and the princesses his relations, came from time
to time to see him. He was easily taught to read and write, and was
instructed in all the sciences that became a prince of his rank.

When he arrived at the age of fifteen he was very wise and prudent.
The king, who had almost from his cradle discovered in him these
virtues so necessary for a monarch, and who moreover began to
perceive the infirmities of old age coming upon himself every day,
would not wait till death gave him possession of the throne, but
purposed to resign it to him. He had no great difficulty to make
his council consent to it; and the people heard this with so much
the more joy, because they considered Prince Beder worthy to govern
them. They saw that he treated all mankind with that goodness which
invited them to approach him; that he heard favourably all who had
anything to say to him; that he answered everybody with a goodness
that was peculiar to him; and that he refused nobody anything that
had the least appearance of justice.

The day for the ceremony was appointed. In the midst of the whole
assembly, which was larger than usual, the King of Persia, then
sitting on his throne, came down from it, took the crown from off
his head, put it on that of Prince Beder, and having seated him in
his place, kissed his hand, as a token that he resigned his
authority to him. After which he took his place among the crowd of
viziers and emirs below the throne.

Hereupon the viziers, emirs, and other principal officers, came
immediately and threw themselves at the new king's feet, taking
each the oath of fidelity according to their rank. Then the grand
vizier made a report of various important matters, on which the
young king gave judgment with admirable prudence and sagacity that
surprised all the council. He next turned out several governors
convicted of mal-administration, and put others in their place,
with wonderful and just discernment. He at length left the council,
accompanied by the late king his father, and went to see his
mother, Queen Gulnare. The queen no sooner saw him coming with his
crown upon his head, than she ran to him, and embraced him with
tenderness, wishing him a long and prosperous reign.

The first year of his reign King Beder acquitted himself of all his
royal functions with great care. Above all, he took care to inform
himself of the state of his affairs, and all that might in any way
contribute towards the happiness of his people. Next year, having
left the administration to his council, under the direction of the
old king his father, he went out of his capital, under pretext of
diverting himself with hunting; but his real intention was to visit
all the provinces of his kingdom, that he might reform all abuses
there, establish good order and discipline everywhere, and take
from all ill-minded princes, his neighbours, any opportunities of
attempting any thing against the security and tranquillity of his
subjects, by showing himself on his frontiers.

It required no less than a whole year for this young king to carry
out his plans. Soon after his return, the old king his father fell
so dangerously ill that he knew at once he should never recover. He
waited for his last moment with great tranquillity, and his only
care was to recommend the ministers and other lords of his son's
court to remain faithful to him: and there was not one but
willingly renewed his oath as freely as at first. He died, at
length, to the great grief of King Beder and Queen Gulnare, who
caused his corpse to be borne to a stately mausoleum, worthy of his
rank and dignity.

The funeral ended, King Beder found no difficulty in complying with
that ancient custom in Persia to mourn for the dead a whole month,
and not to be seen by anybody during all that time. He would have
mourned the death of his father his whole life, had it been right
for a great prince thus to abandon himself to grief. During this
interval the queen, mother to Queen Gulnare, and King Saleh,
together with the princesses their relations, arrived at the
Persian court, and shared their affliction, before they offered any
consolation.

When the month was expired, the king could not refuse admittance to
the grand vizier and the other lords of his court, who besought him
to lay aside his mourning, to show himself to his subjects, and
take upon him the administration of affairs as before.

He showed such great reluctance at their request, that the grand
vizier was forced to take upon himself to say to him; 'Sir, neither
our tears nor yours are capable of restoring life to the good king
your father, though we should lament him all our days. He has
undergone the common law of all men, which subjects them to pay the
indispensable tribute of death. Yet we cannot say absolutely that
he is dead, since we see him in your sacred person. He did not
himself doubt, when he was dying, but that he should revive in you,
and to your majesty it belongs to show that he was not deceived.'

King Beder could no longer oppose such pressing entreaties: he laid
aside his mourning; and after he had resumed the royal habit and
ornaments, he began to provide for the necessities of his kingdom
and subjects with the same care as before his father's death. He
acquitted himself with universal approbation: and as he was exact
in maintaining the ordinances of his predecessor, the people did
not feel they had changed their sovereign.

King Saleh, who had returned to his dominions in the sea with the
queen his mother and the princesses, no sooner saw that King Beder
had resumed the government, at the end of the month than he came
alone to visit him; and King Beder and Queen Gulnare were overjoyed
to see him.

One evening when they rose from table, they talked of various
matters. King Saleh began with the praises of the king his nephew,
and expressed to the queen his sister how glad he was to see him
govern so prudently, all of which had acquired him great
reputation, not among his neighbours only, but more remote princes.
King Beder, who could not bear to hear himself so well spoken of,
and not being willing, through good manners, to interrupt the king
his uncle, turned on one side to sleep, leaning his head against a
cushion that was behind him.

'Sister,' said King Saleh, 'I wonder you have not thought of
marrying him ere this: if I mistake not, he is in his twentieth
year; and, at that age, no prince like him ought to be suffered to
be without a wife. I will think of a wife for him myself, since you
will not, and marry him to some princess of our lower world that
may be worthy of him.'

'Brother,' replied Queen Gulnare, 'I have never thought of it to
this very moment, and I am glad you have spoken of it to me. I like
your proposing one of our princesses; and I desire you to name one
so beautiful and accomplished that the king my son may be obliged
to love her.'

'I know one that will suit,' replied King Saleh, softly; 'but I see
many difficulties to be surmounted, not on the lady's part, as I
hope, but on that of her father. I need only mention to you the
Princess Giauhara, daughter of the king of Samandal.'

'What?' replied Queen Gulnare, 'is not the Princess Giauhara yet
married? I remember to have seen her before I left your palace; she
was then about eighteen months old, and surprisingly beautiful, and
must needs be the wonder of the world. The few years she is older
than the king my son ought not to prevent us from doing our utmost
to bring it about. Let me but know the difficulties that are to be
surmounted, and we will surmount them.'

'Sister,' replied King Saleh, 'the greatest difficulty is, that the
King of Samandal is insupportably vain, looking upon all others as
his inferiors: it is not likely we shall easily get him to enter
into this alliance. For my part, I will go to him in person, and
demand of him the princess his daughter; and, in case he refuses
her, we will address ourselves elsewhere, where we shall be more
favourably heard. For this reason, as you may perceive,' added he,
'it is as well for the king my nephew not to know anything of our
design, lest he should fall in love with the Princess Giauhara,
till we have got the consent of the King of Samandal, in case,
after all, we should not be able to obtain her for him.' They
discoursed a little longer upon this point, and, before they
parted, agreed that King Saleh should forthwith return to his own
dominions, and demand the Princess Giauhara of the King of Samandal
her father, for the King of Persia his nephew.

Now King Beder had heard what they said, and he immediately fell in
love with the Princess Giauhara without having even seen her, and
he lay awake thinking all night. Next day King Saleh took leave of
Queen Gulnare and the king his nephew. The young king, who knew the
king his uncle would not have departed so soon but to go and
promote his happiness without loss of time, changed colour when he
heard him mention his departure. He resolved to desire his uncle to
bring the princess away with him: but only asked him to stay with
him one day more, that they might hunt together. The day for
hunting was fixed, and King Beder had many opportunities of being
alone with his uncle, but he had not the courage to open his mouth.
In the heat of the chase, when King Saleh was separated from him,
and not one of his officers and attendants was near, he alighted
near a rivulet; and having tied his horse to a tree, which, with
several others growing along the banks, afforded a very pleasing
shade, he laid himself down on the grass. He remained a good while
absorbed in thought, without speaking a word.

King Saleh, in the meantime, missing the king his nephew, began to
be much concerned to know what had become of him. He therefore left
his company to go in search of him, and at length perceived him at
a distance. He had observed the day before, and more plainly that
day, that he was not so lively as he used to be; and that if he was
asked a question, he either answered not at all, or nothing to the
purpose. As soon as King Saleh saw him lying in that disconsolate
posture, he immediately guessed he had heard what passed between
him and Queen Gulnare. He hereupon alighted at some distance from
him, and having tied his horse to a tree, came upon him so softly,
that he heard him say to himself:

'Amiable princess of the kingdom of Samandal, I would this moment
go and offer you my heart, if I knew where to find you.'

King Saleh would hear no more; he advanced immediately, and showed
himself to King Beder. 'From what I see, nephew,' said he, 'you
heard what the queen your mother and I said the other day of the
Princess Giauhara. It was not our intention you should have known
anything, and we thought you were asleep.'

'My dear uncle,' replied King Beder, 'I heard every word, but was
ashamed to disclose to you my weakness. I beseech you to pity me,
and not wait to procure me the consent of the divine Giauhara till
you have gained the consent of the King of Samandal that I may
marry his daughter.'

These words of the King of Persia greatly embarrassed King Saleh.
He represented to him how difficult it was, and that he could not
well do it without carrying him along with him; which might be of
dangerous consequence, since his presence was so absolutely
necessary in his kingdom. He begged him to wait. But these reasons
were not sufficient to satisfy the King of Persia.

'Cruel Uncle,' said he, 'I find you do not love me so much as you
pretended, and that you had rather see me die than grant the first
request I ever made you.'

'I am ready to convince your majesty,' replied King Saleh, 'that I
would do anything to serve you; but as for carrying you along with
me, I cannot do that till I have spoken to the queen your mother.
What would she say of you and me? If she consents, I am ready to do
all you would have me, and I will join my entreaties to yours.'

'If you do really love me,' replied the King of Persia impatiently,
'as you would have me believe you do, you must return to your
kingdom immediately, and carry me along with you.'

King Saleh, finding himself obliged to yield to his nephew, drew
from his finger a ring, on which were engraven the same mysterious
names that were upon Solomon's seal, that had wrought so many
wonders by their virtue. 'Here, take this ring,' said he, 'put it
upon your finger, and fear neither the waters of the sea, nor their
depth.'

The King of Persia took the ring, and when he had put it on his
finger, King Saleh said to him, 'Do as I do.' At the same time they
both mounted lightly up into the air, and made towards the sea
which was not far distant, whereinto they both plunged.

The sea-king was not long in getting to his palace with the King of
Persia, whom he immediately carried to the queen's apartment, and
presented him to her. The King of Persia kissed the queen his
grandmother's hands, and she embraced him with great joy. 'I do not
ask you how you are,' said she to him; 'I see you are very well,
and I am rejoiced at it; but I desire to know how is my daughter,
your mother, Queen Gulnare?'

The King of Persia told her the queen his mother was in perfect
health. Then the queen presented him to the princesses; and while
he was in conversation with them, she left him, and went with King
Saleh, who told her how the King of Persia was fallen in love with
the Princess Giauhara, and that he had brought him along with him,
without being able to hinder it.

Although King Saleh was, to do him justice, perfectly innocent, yet
the queen could hardly forgive his indiscretion in mentioning the
Princess Giauhara before him. 'Your imprudence is not to be
forgiven,' said she to him: 'can you think that the King of
Samandal, whose character is so well known, will have greater
consideration for you than the many other kings he has refused his
daughter to with such evident contempt? Would you have him send you
away with the same confusion?'

'Madam,' replied King Saleh, 'I have already told you it was
contrary to my intention that the king, my nephew, should hear what
I related of the Princess Giauhara to the queen my sister. The
fault is committed; I will therefore do all that I can to remedy
it. I hope, madam, you will approve of my resolution to go myself
and wait upon the King of Samandal, with a rich present of precious
stones, and demand of him the princess, his daughter, for the King
of Persia, your grandson. I have some reason to believe he will not
refuse me, but will be pleased at an alliance with one of the
greatest potentates of the earth.'

'It were to have been wished,' replied the queen, 'that we had not
been under a necessity of making this demand, since the success of
our attempt is not so certain as we could desire; but since my
grandson's peace and content depend upon it, I freely give my
consent. But, above all, I charge you, since you well know the
temper of the King of Samandal, that you take care to speak to him
with due respect, and in a manner that cannot possibly offend him.'

The queen prepared the present herself, composed of diamonds,
rubies, emeralds, and strings of pearl; all of which she put into a
very neat and very rich box. Next morning, King Saleh took leave of
her majesty and the King of Persia, and departed with a chosen and
small troop of officers and other attendants. He soon arrived at the
kingdom and the palace of the King of Samandal, who rose from his
throne as soon as he perceived him; and King Saleh, forgetting his
character for some moments, though knowing whom he had to deal with,
prostrated himself at his feet, wishing him the accomplishment of
all his desires. The King of Samandal immediately stooped to raise
him up, and after he had placed him on his left hand, he told him he
was welcome, and asked him if there was anything he could do to
serve him.

'Sir,' answered King Saleh, 'though I should have no other motive
than that of paying my respects to the most potent, most prudent,
and most valiant prince in the world, feeble would be my
expressions how much I honour your majesty.' Having, spoken these
words, he took the box of jewels from one of his servants and
having opened it, presented it to the king, imploring him to accept
it for his sake.

'Prince,' replied the King of Samandal, 'you would not make me such
a present unless you had a request to propose. If there be anything
in my power, you may freely command it, and I shall feel the
greatest pleasure in granting it. Speak, and tell me frankly
wherein I can serve you.'

'I must own,' replied King Saleh, 'I have a boon to ask of your
majesty; and I shall take care to ask nothing but what is in your
power to grant. The thing depends so absolutely on yourself, that
it would be to no purpose to ask it of any other. I ask it then
with all possible earnestness, and I beg of you not to refuse it
me.'

'If it be so,' replied the King of Samandal, 'you have nothing to
do but acquaint me what it is, and you shall see after what manner
I can oblige when it is in my power.'

'Sir,' said King Saleh, 'after the confidence your majesty has been
pleased to encourage me to put in your goodwill, I will not
dissemble any longer. I came to beg of you to honour our house with
your alliance by the marriage of your honourable daughter the
Princess Giauhara, and to strengthen the good understanding that
has so long subsisted between our two crowns.'

At these words the King of Samandal burst out laughing falling back
in his throne against a cushion that supported him, and with an
imperious and scornful air, said to King Saleh: 'King Saleh, I have
always hitherto thought you a prince of great sense; but what you
say convinces me how much I was mistaken. Tell me, I beseech you,
where was your discretion, when you imagined to yourself so great
an absurdity as you have just now proposed to me? Could you
conceive a thought only of aspiring in marriage to a princess, the
daughter of so great and powerful a king as I am? You ought to have
considered better beforehand the great distance between us, and not
run the risk of losing in a moment the esteem I always had for your
person.'

King Saleh was extremely nettled at this affronting, answer, and
had much ado to restrain his resentment; however, he replied, with
all possible moderation, 'God reward your majesty as you deserve! I
have the honour to inform you, I do not demand the princess your
daughter in marriage for myself; had I done so your majesty and the
princess ought to have been so far from being offended, that you
should have thought it an honour done to both. Your majesty well
knows I am one of the kings of the sea as well as yourself; that
the kings, my ancestors, yield not in antiquity to any other royal
families; and that the kingdom I inherit from them is no less
potent and flourishing than it has ever been. If your majesty had
not interrupted me, you had soon understood that the favour I ask
of you was not for myself, but for the young King of Persia, my
nephew, whose power and grandeur, no less than his personal good
qualities, cannot be unknown to you. Everybody acknowledges the
Princess Giauhara to be the most beautiful person in the world: but
it is no less true that the young King of Persia, my nephew, is the
best and most accomplished prince on the land. Thus the favour that
is asked being likely to redound both to the honour of your majesty
and the princess your daughter, you ought not to doubt that your
consent to an alliance so equal will be unanimously approved in all
the kingdoms of the sea. The princess is worthy of the King of
Persia, and the King of Persia is no less worthy of her. No king or
prince in the world can dispute her with him.'

The King of Samandal would not have let King Saleh go on so long
after this rate, had not the rage he put him in deprived him of all
power of speech. It was some time before he could find his tongue,
so much was he transported with passion. At length, however, he
broke into outrageous language, unworthy of a great king. 'Dog!'
cried he, 'dare you talk to me after this manner, and so much as
mention my daughter's name in my presence? Can you think the son of
your sister Gulnare worthy to come in competition with my daughter?
Who are you? Who was your father? Who is your sister? And who your
nephew? Was not his father a dog, and a son of a dog, like you?
Guards, seize the insolent wretch, and cut off his head.'

The few officers that were about the King of Samandal were
immediately going to obey his orders, when King Saleh, who was
nimble and vigorous, got from them before they could draw their
sabres; and having reached the palace gate, he there found a
thousand men of his relations and friends, well armed and equipped,
who had just arrived. The queen his mother having considered the
small number of attendants he took with him, and, moreover,
foreseeing the bad reception he would probably have from the King
of Samandal, had sent these troops to protect and defend him in
case of danger, ordering them to make haste. Those of his relations
who were at the head of this troop had reason to rejoice at their
seasonable arrival, when they beheld him and his attendants come
running in great disorder and pursued. 'Sir,' cried his friends,
the moment he joined them, 'what is the matter? We are ready to
revenge you: you need only command us.'

King Saleh related his case to them in as few words as he could,
and putting himself at the head of a large troop, he, while some
seized on the gates, re-entered the palace as before. The few
officers and guards who had pursued him being soon dispersed, he
re-entered the King of Samandal's apartment, who, being abandoned
by his attendants, was soon seized. King Saleh left sufficient
guards to secure his person, and then went from apartment to
apartment, in search of the Princess Giauhara. But that princess,
on the first alarm, had, together with her women, sprung up to the
surface of the sea, and escaped to a desert island.

While this was passing in the palace of the King of Samandal, those
of King Saleh's attendants who had fled at the first menaces of
that king put the queen mother into terrible consternation upon
relating the danger her son was in. King Beder, who was by at that
time, was the more concerned, in that he looked upon himself as the
principal author of all the mischief: therefore, not caring to
abide in the queen's presence any longer, he darted up from the
bottom of the sea; and, not knowing how to find his way to the
kingdom of Persia, he happened to light on the island where the
Princess Giauhara had taken refuge.

The prince, not a little disturbed in mind, went and seated himself
under the shade of a large tree. Whilst he was endeavouring to
recover himself, he heard somebody talking, but was too far off to
understand what was said. He arose and advanced softly towards the
place whence the sound came, where, among the branches, he
perceived a most beautiful lady. 'Doubtless,' said he, within
himself, stopping and considering her with great attention, 'this
must be the Princess Giauhara, whom fear has obliged to abandon her
father's palace.' This said, he came forward, and approached the
princess with profound reverence. 'Madam,' said he, 'a greater
happiness could not have befallen me than this opportunity to offer
you my most humble services. I beseech you, therefore, madam, to
accept them, it being impossible that a lady in this solitude
should not want assistance.'

'True, my lord,' replied Giauhara very sorrowfully, 'it is not a
little extraordinary for a lady of my rank to be in this situation.
I am a princess, daughter of the King of Samandal, and my name is
Giauhara. I was in my father's palace, when all of a sudden I heard
a dreadful noise: news was immediately brought me that King Saleh,
I know not for what reason, had forced his way into the palace,
seized the king my father, and murdered all the guards that made
any resistance. I had only time to save myself, and escaped hither
from his violence.'

At these words of the princess, King Beder began to be concerned
that he had quitted his grandmother so hastily, without staying to
hear from her an explanation of the news that had been brought her.
But he was, on the other hand, overjoyed to find that the king, his
uncle, had rendered himself master of the King of Samandal's
person, not doubting but that he would consent to give up the
princess for his liberty. 'Adorable princess,' continued he, 'your
concern is most just, but it is easy to put an end both to that and
to your father's captivity. You will agree with me when I tell you
that I am Beder, King of Persia, and King Saleh is my uncle; I
assure you, madam, he has no design to seize upon the king your
father's dominions; his only intent is to obtain his consent that I
may have the honour and happiness of being his son-in-law. I had
already given my heart to you, and now, far from repenting of what
I have done, I beg of you to be assured that I will love you as
long as I live. Permit me, then, beauteous princess! to have the
honour to go and present you to the king my uncle; and the king
your father shall no sooner have consented to our marriage, than
King Saleh will leave him sovereign of his dominions as before.'

This declaration of King Beder did not produce the effect he
expected. When the princess heard from his own mouth that he had
been the occasion of the ill-treatment her father had suffered, of
the grief and fright she had endured, and especially the necessity
she was reduced to of flying her country, she looked upon him as an
enemy with whom she ought to have nothing whatever to do.

King Beder, believing himself arrived at the very pinnacle of
happiness, stretched forth his hand, and taking that of the
princess' stooped down to kiss it, when she, pushing him back,
said, 'Wretch, quit that form of a man, and take that of a white
bird, with a red bill and feet.' Upon her pronouncing these words,
King Beder was immediately changed into a bird of that sort, to his
great surprise and mortification. 'Take him,' said she to one of
her women, 'and carry him to the Dry Island.' This island was only
one frightful rock, where there was not a drop of water to be had.

The waiting-woman took the bird, and in executing her princess's
orders had compassion on King Beder's destiny. 'It would be a great
pity,' said she to herself, 'to let a prince, so worthy to live,
die of hunger and thirst. The princess, so good and gentle, will,
it may be, repent of this cruel order when she comes to herself: it
were better that I carried him to a place where he may die a
natural death.' She accordingly carried him to a well-frequented
island, and left him in a charming plain, planted with all sorts of
fruit trees, and watered by several rivulets.

Let us return to King Saleh. After he had sought a good while for
the Princess Giauhara, and ordered others to seek for her, to no
purpose, he caused the King of Samandal to be shut up in his own
palace, under a strong guard; and having given the necessary orders
for governing the kingdom in his absence, he returned to give the
queen his mother an account of what he had done. The first thing he
asked upon his arrival was of the whereabouts of the king his
nephew, and he learned with great surprise and vexation that he had
disappeared.

'News being brought me,' said the queen, 'of the danger you were in
at the palace of the King of Samandal, whilst I was giving orders
to send other troops to avenge you, he disappeared. He must have
been frightened at hearing of your being in so great danger, and
did not think himself in sufficient safety with us.'

This news exceedingly afflicted King Saleh, who now repented of his
being so easily wrought upon by King Beder as to carry him away
with him without his mother's consent. Whilst he was in this
suspense about his nephew, he left his kingdom under the
administration of his mother, and went to govern that of the King
of Samandal, whom he continued to keep under great vigilance,
though with all due respect to his rank.

The same day that King Saleh returned to the kingdom of Samandal,
Queen Gulnare, mother to King Beder, arrived at the court of the
queen her mother. The princess was not at all surprised to find her
son did not return the same day he set out, it being not uncommon
for him to go further than he proposed in the heat of the chase;
but when she saw that he returned neither the next day, nor the day
after, she began to be alarmed. This alarm was increased when the
officers, who had accompanied the king, and were obliged to return
after they had for a long time sought in vain for both him and his
uncle, came and told her majesty they must of necessity have come
to some harm, or be together in some place which they could not
guess, since they could hear no tidings of them. Their horses,
indeed, they had found, but as for their persons, they knew not
where to look for them. The queen, hearing this, had resolved to
dissemble and conceal her affliction, bidding the officers to
search once more with their utmost diligence; but in the mean time,
saying nothing to anybody, she plunged into the sea, to satisfy
herself as to the suspicion she had that King Saleh must have
carried away his nephew along with him.

This great queen would have been more affectionately received by
the queen her mother, had she not, upon first sight of her, guessed
the occasion of her coming. 'Daughter,' said she, 'I plainly
perceive you are not come hither to visit me; you come to inquire
after the king your son; and the only news I can tell you will
augment both your grief and mine. I no sooner saw him arrive in our
territories, than I rejoiced; yet, when I came to understand he had
come away without your knowledge, I began to share with you the
concern you must needs feel.' Then she related to her with what
zeal King Saleh went to demand the Princess Giauhara in marriage
for King Beder, and what had happened, till her son disappeared. 'I
have sent diligently after him,' added she, 'and the king my son,
who is but just gone to govern the kingdom of Samandal, has done
all that lay in his power. All our endeavours have hitherto proved
unsuccessful, but we must hope nevertheless to see him again,
perhaps when we least expect it.'

Queen Gulnare was not satisfied with this hope; she looked upon the
king her dear son as lost, and lamented him bitterly, laying all
the blame upon the king his uncle. The queen her mother made her
consider the necessity of not yielding too much to her grief. 'The
king your brother,' said she, 'ought not, it is true, to have
talked to you so imprudently about that marriage, nor ever have
consented to carry away the king my grandson, without acquainting
you first; yet, since it is not certain that the King of Persia is
absolutely lost, you ought to neglect nothing to preserve his
kingdom for him: lose, then, no more time, but return to your
capital; your presence there will be necessary, and it will not be
hard for you to preserve the public peace, by causing it to be
published that the King of Persia was gone to visit his
grandmother.'

Queen Gulnare yielded. She took leave of the queen her mother, and
was back in the palace of the capital of Persia before she had been
missed. She immediately despatched persons to recall the officers
she had sent after the king, and to tell them she knew where his
majesty was, and that they should soon see him again. She also
governed with the prime minister and council as quietly as if the
king had been present.

To return to King Beder, whom the Princess Giauhara's waiting-woman
had carried and left in the island before mentioned; that monarch
was not a little surprised when he found himself alone, and under
the form of a bird. He felt yet more unhappy that he knew not where
he was, nor in what part of the world the kingdom of Persia lay. He
was forced to remain where he was, and live upon such food as birds
of his kind were wont to eat, and to pass the night on a tree.

A few days after, a peasant that was skilled in taking birds with
nets chanced to come to the place where he was; when perceiving so
fine a bird, the like of which he had never seen before, he began
greatly to rejoice. He employed all his art to catch him, and at
length succeeded. Overjoyed at so great a prize, which he looked
upon as of more worth than all the other birds, because so rare, he
shut it up in a cage, and carried it to the city. As soon as he was
come into the market, a citizen stops him, and asked him how much
he wanted for that bird.

Instead of answering, the peasant asked the citizen what he would
do with him in case he should buy him? 'What wouldst thou have me
to do with him,' answered the citizen, 'but roast and eat him?'

'If that be the case,' replied the peasant, 'I suppose you would
think me very well paid if you gave me the smallest piece of silver
for him. I set a much higher value upon him, and you should not
have him for a piece of gold. Although I am advanced in years, I
never saw such a bird in my life. I intend to make a present of him
to the king; he will know the value of him better than you.'

Without staying any longer in the market, the peasant went directly
to the palace, and placed himself exactly before the king's
apartment. His majesty, being at a window where he could see all
that passed in the court, no sooner cast his eyes on this beautiful
bird, than he sent an officer to buy it for him. The officer, going
to the peasant, asked him how much he wanted for that bird. 'If it
be for his majesty,' answered the peasant, 'I humbly beg of him to
accept it of me as a present, and I desire you to carry it to him.'
The officer took the bird to the king, who found it so great a
rarity that he ordered the same officer to take ten pieces of gold,
and carry them to the peasant, who departed very well satisfied.
The king ordered the bird to be put into a magnificent cage, and
gave it seed and water in rich vessels.

His majesty being then ready to go hunting, had not time to
consider the bird, therefore had it brought to him as soon as he
came back. The officer brought the cage, and the king, that he
might better see the bird, took it out himself, and perched it upon
his hand. Looking earnestly at it, he asked the officer if he had
seen it eat. 'Sir,' replied the officer, 'your majesty may observe
the vessel with his food is still full, and he has not touched any
of it.' Then the king ordered him meat of various sorts, that he
might take what he liked best.

The table being spread, and dinner served up just as the king had
given these orders, the bird, flapping his wings, hopped off the
king's hand, and flew on to the table, where he began to peck the
bread and victuals, sometimes on one plate, and sometimes on
another. The king was so surprised, that he immediately sent the
officer to desire the queen to come and see this wonder. The
officer related it to her majesty, and she came forthwith: but she
no sooner saw the bird, than she covered her face with her veil,
and would have retired. The king, surprised at her proceeding,
asked the reason of it.

'Sir,' answered the queen, 'your majesty will no longer be
surprised when you understand that this bird is not, as you take
it, a bird, but a man.'

'Madam,' said the king, more astonished than before, 'you are
making fun of me; you shall never persuade me that a bird can be a
man.'

'Sir,' replied the queen, 'far be it from me to make fun of your
majesty; nothing is more certain than what I have had the honour to
tell you. I can assure your majesty it is the King of Persia, named
Beder, son of the celebrated Gulnare, princess of one of the
largest kingdoms of the sea, nephew of Saleh, king of that kingdom,
and grandson of Queen Farasche, mother of Gulnare and Saleh; and it
was the Princess Giauhara, daughter of the King of Samandal, who
thus metamorphosed him into a bird.' That the king might no longer
doubt of what she affirmed, she told him the whole story, how and
for what reason the Princess Giauhara, had thus revenged herself
for the ill-treatment of King Saleh towards the king of Samandal,
her father.

The king had less difficulty in believing this assertion of the
queen in that he knew her to be a skilful magician, one of the
greatest in the world. And as she knew everything which took place,
he was always by her means timely informed of the designs of the
kings his neighbours against him, and prevented them. His majesty
had compassion on the King of Persia, and earnestly besought his
queen to break the enchantment, that he might return to his own
form.

The queen consented to it with great willingness. 'Sir,' said she
to the king, 'be pleased to take the bird into your room, and I
will show you a king worthy of the consideration you have for him.'
The bird, which had ceased eating, and attended to what the king
and queen said, would not give his majesty the trouble to take him,
but hopped into the room before him; and the queen came in soon
after, with a vessel full of water in her hand. She pronounced over
the vessel some words unknown to the king, till the water began to
boil, when she took some of it in her hand, and, sprinkling a
little upon the bird, said, 'By virtue of these holy and mysterious
words I have just pronounced, quit that form of a bird, and
reassume that which thou hast received from thy Creator.'

The words were scarcely out of the queen's mouth, when, instead of
a bird, the king saw a young prince. King Beder immediately fell on
his knees, and thanked God for the favour that had been bestowed
upon him. Then he took the king's hand, who helped him up, and
kissed it in token of gratitude; but the king embraced him with
great joy. He would then have made his acknowledgments to the
queen, but she had already retired to her apartment. The king made
him sit at the table with him, and, after dinner was over, prayed
him to relate how the Princess Giauhara could have had the
inhumanity to transform into a bird so amiable a prince as he was;
and the King of Persia immediately told him. When he had done, the
king, provoked at the proceeding of the princess, could not help
blaming her. 'It was commendable,' said he, 'in the Princess of
Samandal to feel hurt at the king her father's ill-treatment; but
to carry her vengeance so far, and especially against a prince who
was not guilty, was what she will never be able to justify herself
for. But let us have done with this discourse, and tell me, I
beseech you, in what I can further serve you.'

'Sir,' answered King Beder, 'my obligation to your majesty is so
great, that I ought to remain with you all my life to testify my
gratitude; but since your majesty sets no limits to your
generosity, I entreat you to grant me one of your ships to
transport me to Persia, where I fear my absence, which has been but
too long, may have occasioned some disorder, and that the queen my
mother, from whom I concealed my departure, may be dead of grief,
under the uncertainty whether I am alive or dead.'

The king granted what he desired with the best grace imaginable,
and immediately gave orders for equipping one of his largest ships,
and the best sailor in his numerous fleet. The ship was soon
furnished with all its crew, provisions, and ammunition; and as
soon as the wind became fair, King Beder embarked, after having
taken leave of the king, and thanked him for all his favours.

The ship sailed before the wind for ten days; on the eleventh day
the wind changed, and becoming very violent, there followed a
furious tempest. The ship was not only driven out of its course,
but so violently tossed, that all its masts went by the board; and
driving along at the pleasure of the wind, it at length struck
against a rock and split open.

The greater part of the people were instantly drowned. Some few
were saved by swimming, and others by getting on pieces of the
wreck. King Beder was among the latter, and, after having been
tossed about for some time by the waves and currents, he at length
perceived himself near the shore, and not far from a city that
seemed large. He exerted his remaining strength to reach the land,
and was at length fortunate to come so near as to be able to touch
the ground with his feet. He immediately abandoned his piece of
wood, which had been of so great service to him; but when he came
near the shore he was greatly surprised to see horses, camels,
mules, asses, oxen, cows, bulls, and other animals crowding to the
shore to oppose his landing. He had the utmost difficulty to
conquer their obstinacy and force his way; but at length he
succeeded, and sheltered himself among the rocks till he had
recovered his breath, and dried his clothes in the sun.

When the prince advanced to enter the city, he met with the same
opposition from these animals, who seemed to want to make him
understand that it was dangerous to proceed.

King Beder, however, got into the city soon after, and saw many
fair and spacious streets, but was surprised to find no man there.
This made him think it was not without cause that so many animals
had opposed his passage. Going forward, nevertheless, he observed
several shops open, which gave him reason to believe the place was
not so destitute of inhabitants as he imagined. He approached one
of these shops, where several sorts of fruits were exposed to sale,
and saluted very courteously an old man that was sitting there.

The old man, who was busy about something, lifted up his head, and
seeing a youth who had an appearance of grandeur, started, and
asked him whence he came, and what business had brought him there.
King Beder satisfied him in a few words; and the old man further
asked him if he had met anybody on the road. 'You are the first
person I have seen,' answered the king; 'and I cannot comprehend
how so fine and large a city comes to be without inhabitants.'

'Come in, sir; stay no longer upon the threshold,' replied the old
man, 'or peradventure some misfortune may happen to you. I will
satisfy your curiosity at leisure, and give you the reason why it
is necessary you should take this precaution.'

King Beder would not be bidden twice: he entered the shop, and sat
down by the old man. The latter knew he must want food, therefore
immediately presented him with what was necessary to recover his
strength; and although King Beder was very anxious to know why he
had taken the precaution to make him enter the shop, the old man
nevertheless would not tell him anything till he had done eating,
for fear the sad things he had to relate might take away his
appetite. At last he said to him, 'You have great reason to thank
God you got hither without any misfortune.'

'Alas! why?' replied king Beder, very much surprised and alarmed.

'Because,' answered he, 'this city is called the City of
Enchantments, and is governed not by a king, but by a queen, who is
a notorious and dangerous sorceress. You will be convinced of
this,' added he, 'when you know that these horses, mules, and other
animals that you have seen are so many men, like you and me, whom
she has transformed by her diabolical art. And when young men like
you enter the city, she has persons stationed to stop and bring
them, either by fair means or force, before her. She receives them
in the most obliging manner; she caresses them, regales them, and
lodges them magnificently. But she does not suffer them long to
enjoy this happiness. There is not one of them whom she has not
transformed into some animal or bird at the end of forty days. You
told me all these animals opposed your landing and entering, the
city. This was the only way they could make you comprehend the
danger you were going to expose yourself to, and they did all in
their power to save you.'

This account exceedingly afflicted the young King of Persia.
'Alas!' cried he, 'to what extremities has my ill-fortune reduced
me! I am hardly freed from one enchantment, which I look back upon
with horror, but I find myself exposed to another much more
terrible.' This gave him occasion to relate his story to the old
man more at length, and to acquaint him with his birth, quality,
his falling in love with the Princess of Samandal, and her cruelty
in changing him into a bird the very moment he had seen her and
declared his love to her.

When the prince came to speak of his good fortune in finding a
queen who broke the enchantment, the old man, to encourage him,
said, 'Notwithstanding all I told you of the magic queen, that
ought not to give you the least disquiet, since I am generally
beloved throughout the city, and am not unknown to the queen
herself, who has much respect for me; therefore it was singularly
fortunate that you addressed yourself to me rather than elsewhere.
You are secure in my house, where I advise you to continue, if you
think fit; and provided you do not stray from hence, I dare assure
you you will have no just cause to complain; so that you are under
no sort of constraint whatsoever.'

King Beder thanked the old man for his kind reception, and the
protection he was pleased so readily to afford him. He sat down at
the entrance of the shop, where he no sooner appeared than his
youth and handsome looks drew the eyes of all that passed that way.
Many stopped and complimented the old man on his having acquired so
fine a slave, as they imagined the king to be; and they were the
more surprised, because they could not comprehend how so beautiful
a youth could escape the queen's knowledge. 'Believe not,' said the
old man, 'that this is a slave; you all know that I am not rich
enough. He is my nephew, son of a brother of mine that is dead; and
as I had no children of my own, I sent for him to keep me company.'

They congratulated his good fortune in having so fine a young man
for his relation; but could not help telling him they feared the
queen would take him from him. 'You know her well,' said they, 'and
you cannot be ignorant of the danger to which you are exposed,
after all the examples you have seen. How grieved would you be if
she should serve him as she has done so many others that we know
of!'

'I am obliged to you,' replied the old man, 'for your good will
towards me, and I heartily thank you for your care; but I shall
never entertain the least thought that the queen will do me any
injury, after all the kindness she has professed for me. In case
she happens to hear of this young man, and speaks to me about him,
I doubt not she will cease to think of him, so soon as she comes to
know he is my nephew.'

The old man was exceedingly glad to hear the commendations they
bestowed on the young King of Persia. He became as fond of him as
if he had been his own son. They had lived about a month together,
when, King Beder sitting at the shop-door, after his ordinary
manner, Queen Labe (so was this magic queen named) happened to come
by with great pomp. The young king no sooner perceived the guards
coming before her, than he arose, and, going into the shop, asked
the old man what all that show meant. 'The queen is coming by,'
answered he, 'but stand still and fear nothing.'

The queen's guards, clothed in purple uniform, and well armed and
mounted, marched in four files, with their sabres drawn, to the
number of a thousand, and every one of their officers, as they
passed by the shop, saluted the old man: then followed a like
number habited in brocaded silk, and better mounted, whose officers
did the old man the like honour. Next came as many young ladies on
foot, equally beautiful, richly dressed, and set off with precious
stones. They marched gravely, with half pikes in their hands; and
in the midst of them appeared Queen Labe, on a horse glittering
with diamonds, with a golden saddle, and a harness of inestimable
value. All the young ladies saluted the old man as they passed by
him; and the queen, struck with the good mien of King Beder,
stopped as soon as she came before the shop. 'Abdallah' (so was the
old man named), said she to him, 'tell me, I beseech thee, does
that beautiful and charming slave belong to thee? and is it long
that thou hast been in possession of him?'

Abdallah, before he answered the queen, threw himself on the
ground, and rising again, said, 'Madam, it is my nephew, son of a
brother I had, who has not long been dead. Having no children, I
look upon him as my son, and sent for him to come and comfort me,
intending to leave him what I have when I die.'

Queen Labe, who had never yet seen any one to compare with King
Beder, thought immediately of getting the old man to abandon him to
her. 'Father,' quoth she, 'will you not oblige me so far as to make
me a present of this young man? Do not refuse me, I conjure you;
and I swear by the fire and the light, I will make him so great and
powerful that no individual in the world ever arrived at such good
fortune. Although my purpose were to do evil to all mankind, yet he
shall be the sole exception. I trust you will grant me what I
desire, more on the account of the friendship I know you have for
me, than for the esteem you know I always had, and shall ever have
for you.'

'Madam,' replied the good Abdallah, 'I am infinitely obliged to
your majesty for all your kindness, and the honours you propose to
do my nephew. He is not worthy to approach so great a queen, and I
humbly beseech your majesty to excuse him.'

'Abdallah,' replied the queen, 'I all along flattered myself you
loved me; and I could never have thought you would have given me so
evident a token of your slighting my request. But I here swear once
more by the fire and light, and even by whatsoever is most sacred
in my religion, that I will pass on no farther till I have
conquered your obstinacy. I understand very well what raises your
apprehensions; but I promise you shall never have any occasion to
repent having obliged me in so sensible a manner.'

Old Abdallah was exceedingly grieved, both on his own account and
King Beder's, for being in a manner forced to obey the queen.
'Madam,' replied he, 'I would not willingly have your majesty
entertain an ill opinion of the respect I have for you, and my zeal
always to do whatever I can to oblige you. I put entire confidence
in your royal word, and I do not in the least doubt but you will
keep it. I only beg of your majesty to delay doing this great
honour to my nephew till you shall again pass this way.'

'That shall be to-morrow,' said the queen, who inclined her head,
as a token of being pleased, and so went forward towards her
palace.

When Queen Labe and all her attendants were out of sight, the good
Abdallah said to King Beder, 'Son, (for so he was wont to call him,
for fear of some time or other betraying him when he spoke of him
in public), 'it has not been in my power, as you may have observed,
to refuse the queen what she demanded of me with so great
earnestness, for fear I might force her to employ her magic both
against you and myself openly or secretly, and treat you, as much
from resentment to you as to me, with more signal cruelty than all
those she has had in her power before. But I have some reason to
believe she will treat you well, as she promised, on account of
that particular esteem she professes for me. This you may have seen
by the respect shown, and the honours paid me by all her court. She
would be a fiendish creature indeed, if she should deceive me; but
she shall not deceive me unrevenged, for I know how to be even with
her.'

These assurances, which appeared very doubtful, were not sufficient
to raise King Beder's spirits. 'After all you have told me of this
queen's wickedness,' replied he, 'you cannot wonder if I am
somewhat fearful to approach her: I might, it may be, make little
of all you could tell me of her, did I not know by experience what
it is to be at the mercy of a sorceress. The condition I was in,
through the enchantment of the Princess Giauhara, and from whence I
was delivered only to enter almost immediately into another, has
made me look upon such a fate with horror.

'Son,' replied old Abdallah, 'do not afflict yourself; for though I
must own there is no great faith to be put in the promises and
oaths of so perfidious a queen, yet I must withal tell you that her
power extends not to me. She knows it well herself; and that is the
reason, and no other, that she pays me such great respect. I can
quickly hinder her from doing you the least harm, if she should be
perfidious enough to attempt it. You may depend upon me; and,
provided you follow exactly the advice I shall give you before I
hand you over to her, she shall have no more power over you than
she has over me.'

The magic queen did not fail to pass by the old man's shop the next
day, with the same pomp as the day before, and Abdallah waited for
her with great respect. 'Father,' cried she, stopping just before
him, 'you may judge of my impatience to have your nephew with me,
by my punctual coming to put you in mind of your promise. I know
you are a man of your word, and I cannot think you will break it
with me.'

Abdallah, who fell on his face as soon as he saw the queen
approaching, rose up when she had done speaking; and as he wanted
nobody to hear what he had a mind to say to her, he advanced with
great respect as far as her horse's head, and then said softly,
'Powerful queen! I am persuaded your majesty will not be offended
at my seeming unwillingness to trust my nephew with you yesterday,
since you cannot be ignorant of the reasons I had for it; but I
implore you to lay aside the secrets of that art which you possess
in so wonderful a degree. I regard my nephew as my own son; and
your majesty would reduce me to despair if you should deal with him
as you have done with others.'

'I promise you I will not,' replied the queen; 'and I once more
repeat the oath I made yesterday, that neither you nor your nephew
shall have any cause to be offended with me. I see plainly,' added
she, 'you are not yet well enough acquainted with me; you never saw
me yet but through a veil; but as I find your nephew worthy of my
friendship, I will show you I am not in any way unworthy of his.'
With that she threw off her veil and showed King Beder, who came
near her with Abdallah, incomparable beauty.

But King Beder was little charmed. 'It is not enough,' said he
within himself, 'to be beautiful; one's actions ought to
correspond.'

Whilst King Beder was making these reflections, with his eyes fixed
on Queen Labe, the old man turned towards him, and taking him by
the arm, presented him to her majesty. 'Here he is, madam,' said
he, 'and I beg of your majesty once more to remember he is my
nephew, and to let him come and see me sometimes.' The queen
promised he should; and to give a further mark of her gratitude,
she caused a bag of a thousand pieces of gold to be given him. He
excused himself at first from receiving them, but she insisted
absolutely upon it, and he could not refuse her. She had caused a
horse to be brought (as richly harnessed as her own) for the King
of Persia.

When King Beder was mounted, he would have taken his place behind
the queen, but she would not suffer him, and made him ride on her
left hand. She looked at Abdallah, and after having made him an
inclination with her head, she set forward on her march.

Instead of observing a satisfaction in the people's faces at the
sight of their sovereign, King Beder took notice that they looked
at her with contempt, and even cursed her. 'The sorceress,' said
some, 'has got a new subject to exercise her wickedness upon: will
Heaven never deliver the world from her tyranny?' 'Poor stranger!'
cried out others, 'thou art much deceived if thou thinkest thine
happiness will last long. It is only to render thy fall most
terrible that thou art raised so high.' This talk gave King Beder
to understand that Abdallah had told him nothing but the truth of
Queen Labe: but as it now depended no longer on himself to escape
the mischief, he committed himself to divine Providence and the
will of Heaven respecting his fate.

The magic queen arrived at her palace; she alighted, and giving her
hand to King Beder, entered with him, accompanied by her women and
the officers. She herself showed him all her apartments, where
there was nothing to be seen but massy gold, precious stones, and
furniture of wonderful magnificence. Then she led him out into a
balcony, from whence he observed a garden of surprising beauty.
King Beder commended all he saw, but so that he might not be
discovered to be any other than old Abdallah's nephew. They
discoursed of indifferent matters, till the queen was informed that
dinner was upon the table.

The queen and King Beder arose, and sat down at the table, which
was of massy gold, and the dishes of the same metal. They began to
eat, but drank hardly at all till the dessert came, when the queen
caused a cup to be filled for her with excellent wine. She took it
and drank to King Beder's health; and then, without putting it out
of her hand, caused it to be filled again, and presented it to him.
King Beder received it with profound respect, and by a very low bow
signified to her majesty that he in return drank to her health.

At the same time ten of Queen Labe's women entered with musical
instruments, with which they made an agreeable concert. At length
both began so to be heated with wine, that King Beder forgot he had
to do with a magic queen, and looked upon her only as the most
beautiful queen he ever saw.

Next morning the women who had served the king presented him with
fine linen and a magnificent robe. The queen likewise, who was more
splendidly dressed than the day before, came to receive him, and
they went together to her apartments, where they had a good repast
brought them, and spent the remainder of the day in walking in the
garden, and in various other amusements.

Queen Labe treated King Beder after this manner for forty days, as
she had been accustomed to do to all the others. The fortieth night
she arose without making any noise and came into his room; but he
was awake, and perceiving she had some design upon him, watched all
her motions. She opened a chest, from whence she took a little box
full of a certain yellow powder; taking some of the powder, she
laid a train of it across the chamber, and it immediately flowed in
a rivulet of water, to the great astonishment of King Beder. He
trembled with fear, but still pretended to sleep, that the
sorceress might not discover he was awake.

Queen Labe next took up some of the water in a vessel, and poured
it into a basin, where there was flour, with which she made a
paste, and kneaded it for a long time: then she mixed with it
certain drugs, which she took from different boxes, and made a
cake, which she put into a covered baking-pan. As she had taken
care first of all to make a good fire, she took some of the coals,
and set the pan upon them; and while the cake was baking, she put
up the vessels and boxes in their places again; and on her
pronouncing certain words, the rivulet, which ran along the end of
the room, appeared no more. When the cake was baked, she took it
off the coals, and carried it into her room, without the least
suspicion that he had seen anything of what she had done.

King Beder, whom the pleasures and amusements of a court had made
forget his good host Abdallah, began now to think of him again, and
believed he had more than ordinary occasion for his advice, after
all he had seen the queen do that night. As soon as he was up,
therefore, he expressed a great desire to go and see his uncle, and
begged her majesty to permit him. 'What! my dear Beder,' cried the
queen, 'are you then already tired, I will not say with living in
so superb a palace as mine is, where you must find so many
pleasures, but with the company of a queen who is so fond of you as
I am?'

'Great queen!' answered King Beder, 'how can I be tired of so many
favours and graces as your majesty perpetually heaps upon me? I
must own, however, it is partly for this reason, that, my uncle
loving me so tenderly, as I well know he does, and I having been
absent from him now forty days, without once seeing him, I would
not give him reason to think that I consent to remain longer
without seeing him.'

'Go,' said the queen, 'you have my consent; but do not be long
before you return.' This said, she ordered him a horse richly
caparisoned, and he departed.

Old Abdallah was overjoyed to see King Beder; he embraced him
tenderly, and King Beder did the same. As soon as they had sat
down, 'Well,' said Abdallah to the king, 'how have you been, and
how have you passed your time with that infidel sorceress?'

'Hitherto,' answered King Beder, 'I must needs own she has been
extraordinarily kind to me, but I observed something last night
which gives me just reason to suspect that all her kindness
hitherto is but dissimulation.' He related to Abdallah how and
after what manner he had seen her make the cake; and then added,
'Hitherto, I must needs confess I had almost forgotten, not only
you, but all the advice you gave me concerning the wickedness of
this queen; but this last action of hers gives me reason to fear
she does not intend to observe any of her promises or solemn oaths
to you. I thought of you immediately, and I esteem myself happy in
that I have obtained permission to come to you.'

'You are not mistaken,' replied old Abdallah with a smile, which
showed he did not himself believe she would have acted otherwise,
'nothing is capable of obliging a treacherous person to amend. But
fear nothing. I know the way to make the mischief she intends for
you fall upon herself. You are alarmed in time; and you could not
have done better than to have recourse to me. It is her ordinary
practice to keep her lovers only forty days, and after that time,
instead of sending them home, to turn them into animals, to stock
her forests and parks; but I thought of measures yesterday to
prevent her doing you the same harm. The earth has borne this
monster long enough, and it is now high time she should be treated
as she deserves.'

So saying, Abdallah put two cakes into King Beder's hands, bidding
him keep them to make use of as he should direct. 'You told me,'
continued he, 'the sorceress made a cake last night; it was for you
to eat, depend upon it; but take great care you do not touch it.
Nevertheless, do not refuse to receive it when she offers it you;
but instead of tasting it, break off part of one of the two I shall
give you, unobserved, and eat that. As soon as she thinks you have
swallowed it, she will not fail to attempt transforming you into
some animal, but she will not succeed; when she sees that she will
immediately turn the thing into a joke, as if what she had done was
only to frighten you. But she will conceal a mortal grief in her
heart, and think she omitted something in the composition of her
cake. As for the other cake, you shall make a present of it to her
and press her to eat it; which she will not refuse to do, were it
only to convince you she does not mistrust you, though she has
given you so much reason to mistrust her. When she has eaten of it,
take a little water in the hollow of your hand, and throwing it in
her face, say, "Quit that form you now wear, and take that of such
and such an animal" as you think fit; which done, come to me with
the animal, and I will tell you what you shall do afterwards.'

King Beder thanked Abdallah in the most expressive terms, and took
his leave of him and returned to the palace. Upon his arrival, he
understood that the queen waited for him with great impatience in
the garden. He went to her, and she no sooner perceived him, than
she came in great haste to meet him. 'My dear Beder!' said she, 'it
seems ages since I have been separated from you. If you had stayed
ever so little longer, I was preparing to come and fetch you.'

'Madam,' replied King Beder, 'I can assure your majesty I was no
less impatient to rejoin you; but I could not refuse to stay a
little longer with an uncle that loves me, and had not seen me for
so long a time. He would have kept me still longer, but I tore
myself away from him, to come where love calls me. Of all he
prepared for me, I have only brought away this cake, which I desire
your majesty to accept.' King Beder had wrapped up one of the two
cakes in a handkerchief very neatly, took it out, and presented it
to the queen, saying, 'I beg your majesty to accept it.'

'I do accept it with all my heart,' replied the queen, 'and will
eat it with pleasure for your and your good uncle's sake; but
before I taste it, I desire you for my sake to eat a piece of this,
which I have made for you during your absence.'

'Fair queen,' answered King Beder, receiving it with great respect,
I cannot sufficiently acknowledge the favour you do me.'

King Beder then artfully substituted in the place of the queen's
cake the other which old Abdallah had given him, and having broken
off a piece, he put it in his mouth, and cried, while he was
eating, 'Ah! queen, I never tasted anything so charming in my
life.'

Being near a cascade, as the sorceress saw him swallow one bit of
the cake, and ready to eat another, she took a little water in the
palm of her hand, throwing it in the king's face, said, 'Wretch!
quit that form of a man, and take that of a vile horse, blind and
lame.'

These words not having the desired effect, the sorceress was
strangely surprised to find King Beder still in the same form, and
that he only started for fear. Her cheeks reddened; and as she saw
that she had missed her aim, 'Dear Beder,' cried she, 'this is
nothing; recover yourself. I did not intend you any harm; I only
did it to see what you would say.'

'Powerful queen,' replied King Beder, 'persuaded as I am that what
your majesty did was only to divert yourself, yet I could not help
being surprised. But, madam,' continued he, 'let us drop this, and
since I have eaten your cake, would you do me the favour to taste
mine?'

Queen Labe, who could not better justify herself than by showing
this mark of confidence in the King of Persia, broke off a piece of
his cake, and ate it. She had no sooner swallowed it than she
appeared much troubled, and remained as it were motionless. King
Beder lost no time, but took water out of the same basin, and
throwing it in her face, cried, 'Abominable sorceress! quit that
form of a woman, and be turned instantly into a mare.'

The same instant Queen Labe was transformed into a very beautiful
mare; and her confusion was so great to find herself in that
condition, that she shed tears in great abundance, which perhaps no
mare before had ever been known to do. She bowed her head to the
feet of King Beder, thinking to move him to compassion; but though
he could have been so moved, it was absolutely out of his power to
repair the mischief he had done. He led her into the stable
belonging to the palace, and put her into the hands of a groom, to
bridle and saddle; but of all the bridles which the groom tried
upon her, not one would fit her. This made him cause two horses to
be saddled, one for the groom, and the other for himself; and the
groom led the mare after him to old Abdallah's.

Abdallah, seeing at a distance King Beder coming with the mare,
doubted not but he had done what he advised him. 'Hateful
sorceress!' said he immediately to himself in a transport of joy,
'Heaven has at length punished thee as thou deservest.' King Beder
alighted at Abdallah's door, and entered the shop, embracing and
thanking him for all the signal services he had done him. He
related to him the whole matter, and told him that he could find no
bridle fit for the mare. Abdallah, who had one for every horse,
bridled the mare himself, and as soon as King Beder had sent back
the groom with the two horses, he said to him, 'My lord, you have
no reason to stay any longer in this city: mount the mare, and
return to your kingdom. I have but one thing more to recommend to
you; and that is, if you should ever happen to part with the mare,
be sure not to give up the bridle.' King Beder promised to remember
it; and having taken leave of the good old man, he departed.

The young King of Persia no sooner got out of the city, than he
began to reflect with joy on the deliverance he had had, and that
he had the sorceress in his power, who had given him so much cause
to tremble. Three days after he arrived at a great city, where,
entering the suburbs, he met a venerable old man. 'Sir,' said the
old man, stopping him, 'may I presume to ask from what part of the
world you come?' The king stopped to tell him, and as they were
discoursing together, an old woman came up; who, stopping likewise,
wept and sighed bitterly at the sight of the mare.

King Beder and the old man left off discoursing, to look at the old
woman, whom the king asked what cause she had to lament so much,
'Alas! sir,' replied she, 'it is because your mare resembles so
perfectly one my son had, which I still mourn the loss of on his
account. I should think yours were the same, did I not know she was
dead. Sell her to me, I beseech you: I will give you more than she
is worth, and thank you too.'

'Good woman,' replied King Beder, 'I am heartily sorry I cannot
comply with your request: my mare is not to be sold.'

'Alas! sir,' continued the old woman, 'do not refuse me this
favour. My son and I will certainly die with grief if you do not
grant it.'

'Good mother,' replied the king, 'I would grant it with all my
heart, if I was disposed to part with so good a beast; but if I
were so disposed, I believe you would hardly give a thousand pieces
of gold for her, and I could not sell her for less.'

'Why should I not give so much?' replied the old woman: 'if that be
the lowest price, you need only say you will take it, and I will
fetch you the money.'

King Beder, seeing the old woman so poorly dressed, could not
imagine she could find the money; therefore to try her, he said,
'Go, fetch me the money, and the mare is yours.' The old woman
immediately unloosed a purse she had fastened to her girdle, and
desiring him to alight, bade him tell over the money, and in case
he found it came short of the sum demanded, she said her house was
not far off, and she could quickly fetch the rest.

The surprise of King Beder, at the sight of this purse, was not
small. 'Good woman,' said he, 'do you not perceive I have been
bantering you all this while? I assure you my mare is not to be
sold.'

The old man, who had been witness to all that was said, now began
to speak. 'Son,' quoth he to King Beder, 'it is necessary you
should know one thing, which I find you are ignorant of; and that
is, that in this city it is not permitted to any one to tell a lie,
on any account whatsoever, on pain of death. You cannot refuse
taking this good woman's money, and delivering your mare, when she
gives you the sum according to the agreement; and this you had
better do without any noise, than expose yourself to what may
happen.'

King Beder, sorely afflicted to find himself thus trapped by his
rash offer, alighted with great regret. The old woman stood ready
to seize the bridle, and immediately unbridled the mare, and taking
some water in her hand, from a stream that ran in the middle of the
street, she threw it in the mare's face, uttering these words,
'Daughter, quit that strange shape, and re-assume thine own.' The
transformation was effected in a moment, and King Beder, who
swooned as soon as he saw Queen Labe appear, would have fallen to
the ground, if the old man had not caught him.

The old woman, who was mother to Queen Labe, and had instructed her
in all her magic secrets, had no sooner embraced her daughter, than
to show her fury, she whistled. Immediately rose a genie of
gigantic form and stature. This genie took King Beder on one
shoulder, and the old woman with the magic queen on the other, and
transported them in a few minutes to the palace of Queen Labe in
the City of Enchantments.

The magic queen immediately fell upon King Beder, 'Is it thus,
ungrateful wretch,' said she, 'that thou and thy unworthy uncle
repay me for all the kindnesses I have done for you? I shall soon
make you both feel what you deserve.' She said no more, but taking
water in her hand, threw it in his face with these words, 'Come out
of that shape, and take that of a vile owl.' These words were
followed by the effect, and immediately she commanded one of her
women to shut up the owl in a cage, and give him neither meat nor
drink.

The woman took the cage, and without regarding what the queen
ordered, gave him both meat and drink; and being old Abdallah's
friend, she sent him word privately how the queen had treated his
nephew, and of her design to destroy both him and King Beder, that
he might give orders to prevent it and save himself.

Abdallah knew no common measures would do with Queen Labe: he
therefore did but whistle after a certain manner, and there
immediately arose a vast giant, with four wings, who, presenting
himself before him, asked what he wanted. 'Lightning,' said
Abdallah to him (for so was the genie called), 'I command you to
preserve the life of King Beder, son of Queen Gulnare. Go to the
palace of the magic queen, and transport immediately to the capital
of Persia the compassionate woman who has the cage in custody, so
that she may inform Queen Gulnare of the danger the king her son is
in, and the occasion he has for her assistance. Take care not to
frighten her when you come before her and tell her from me what she
ought to do.'

Lightning immediately disappeared, and got in an instant to the
palace of the magic queen. He instructed the woman, lifted her up
into the air, and transported her to the capital of Persia, where
he placed her on the terrace near the apartment where Queen Gulnare
was. She went downstairs to the apartment, and she there found
Queen Gulnare and Queen Farasche her mother lamenting their
misfortunes. She made them a profound obeisance and they soon
understood the great need that King Beder was in of their
assistance.

Queen Gulnare was so overjoyed at the news, that rising from her
seat, she went and embraced the good woman, telling her how much
she was obliged to her for the service she had done.

Then immediately going out, she commanded the trumpets to sound,
and the drums to beat, to acquaint the city that the King of Persia
would suddenly return safe to his kingdom. She then went again, and
found King Saleh her brother, whom Queen Farasche had caused to
come speedily thither by a certain fumigation. 'Brother,' said she
to him, 'the king your nephew, my dear son, is in the City of
Enchantments, under the power of Queen Labe. Both you and I must go
to deliver him, for there is no time to be lost.'

King Saleh forthwith assembled a powerful body of his marine
troops, who soon rose out of the sea. He also called to his
assistance the genies, his allies, who appeared with a much more
numerous army than his own. As soon as the two armies were joined,
he put himself at the head of them, with Queen Farasche, Queen
Gulnare, and the princesses. They then lifted themselves up into
the air, and soon poured down on the palace and City of
Enchantments, where the magic queen, her mother, and all the
adorers of fire, were destroyed in an instant.

Queen Gulnare had ordered the woman who brought her the news of
Queen Labe's transforming and imprisoning her son to follow her
closely, and bade her go, and in the confusion, seize the cage, and
bring it to her. This order was executed as she wished, and Queen
Gulnare was no sooner in possession of the cage than she opened it
and took out the owl, saying, as she sprinkled a little water upon
him, 'My dear son, quit that strange form, and resume thy natural
one of a man.'

In a moment Queen Gulnare no more saw the hideous owl, but King
Beder her son. She immediately embraced him with an excess of joy.
She could not find in her heart to let him go; and Queen Farasche
was obliged to force him from her in her turn. After her, he was
likewise embraced by the king his uncle and his relations.

Queen Gulnare's first care was to look out for old Abdallah, to
whom she had been indebted for the recovery of the King of Persia.
When he was brought to her, she said, 'My obligations to you, sir,
have been so great, that there is nothing in my power that I would
not freely do for you, as a token of my acknowledgment. Do but tell
me in what I can serve you.'

'Great queen,' replied Abdallah, 'if the lady whom I sent to your
majesty will but consent to the marriage I offer her, and the King
of Persia will give me leave to reside at his court, I will spend
the remainder of my days in his service.'

Then the queen turned to the lady, who was present, and finding
that she was not averse to the match proposed, she caused them to
join hands, and the King of Persia and she took care of their
welfare.

This marriage occasioned the King of Persia to speak thus to the
queen: 'Madam,' said he, 'I am heartily glad of this match which
your majesty has just made. There remains one more, which I desire
you to think of.'

Queen Gulnare did not at first comprehend what marriage he meant;
but after a little considering, she said, 'Of yours, you mean, son?
I consent to it with all my heart.' Then turning, and looking on
her brother's sea attendants, and the genies who were still
present, 'Go,' said she, 'and traverse both sea and land, to find
out the most lovely and amiable princess, worthy of the king my
son, and come and tell us.'

'Madam,' replied King Beder, 'it is to no purpose for them to take
all that pains. You have no doubt heard that I have already given
my heart to the Princess of Samandal. I have seen her, and do not
repent of the present I then made her. In a word, neither earth nor
sea, in my opinion, can furnish a princess like her. It is true
that she treated me in a way that would have extinguished any
affection less strong than mine. But I hold her excused; she could
not treat me with less rigour, after I had had the king her father
imprisoned. But it may be the King of Samandal has changed his
mind; and his daughter the princess may consent to love me when she
sees her father has agreed to it.'

'Son,' replied Queen Gulnare, 'if only the Princess Giauhara can
make you happy, it is not my design to oppose you. The king your
uncle need only have the King of Samandal brought, and we shall
soon see whether he be still of the same untractable temper.'

Strictly as the King of Samandal had been kept during his captivity
by King Saleh's orders, yet he always had great respect shown him,
and was become very familiar with the officers who guarded him.
King Saleh caused a chafing-dish of coals to be brought, into which
he threw a certain composition, uttering at the same time some
mysterious words. As soon as the smoke began to arise, the palace
shook, and immediately the King of Samandal, with King Saleh's
officers, appeared. The King of Persia cast himself at the King of
Samandal's feet, and kneeling said, 'It is no longer King Saleh
that demands of your majesty the honour of your alliance for the
King of Persia; it is the King of Persia himself that humbly begs
that boon; and I am sure your majesty will not persist in being the
cause of the death of a king who can no longer live if he does not
share life with the amiable Princess Giauhara.'

The King of Samandal did not long suffer the King of Persia to
remain at his feet. He embraced him and obliging him to rise, said,
'I should be very sorry to have contributed in the least to the
death of a monarch who is so worthy to live. If it be true that so
precious a life cannot be preserved without my daughter, live,
sir,' said he, 'she is yours. She has always been obedient to my
will, and I cannot think she will now oppose it.' Speaking these
words, he ordered one of his officers, whom King Saleh had
permitted to be about him, to go and look for the Princess
Giauhara, and bring her to him immediately.

The princess had remained where the King of Persia had left her.
The officer soon perceived her, and brought her with her women. The
King of Samandal embraced her, and said, 'Daughter, I have provided
a husband for you; it is the King of Persia you see there, the most
accomplished monarch at present in the universe. The preference he
has given you over all other Princesses obliges us both to express
our gratitude.'

'Sir,' replied the Princess Giauhara, 'your majesty well knows I
never have presumed to disobey your will in anything; I shall
always be ready to obey you; and I hope the King of Persia will
forget my ill-treatment of him, and consider it was duty, not
inclination, that forced me to it.'

The wedding was celebrated in the palace of the City of
Enchantments, with the greater solemnity in that all the lovers of
the magic queen, who resumed their original forms as soon as ever
that queen ceased to live, came to return their thanks to the King
of Persia, Queen Gulnare, and King Saleh. They were all sons of
kings or princes, or persons of high rank.

King Saleh at length conducted the King of Samandal to his
dominions, and put him in possession of them. The King of Persia
returned to his capital with Queen Gulnare, Queen Farasche, and the
princesses; and Queen Farasche and the princesses continued there
till King Saleh came to reconduct them to his kingdom under the
waves of the sea.





          THE THREE PRINCES AND THE PRINCESS NOURONNIHAR.



There was once a sultan of India who had three sons. These, with
the princess his niece, were the ornaments of his court. The eldest
of the princes was called Houssain, the second Ali, the youngest
Ahmed, and the princess his niece, Nouronnihar. The Princess
Nouronnihar was the daughter of the younger brother of the sultan,
to whom the sultan in his lifetime allowed a considerable revenue.
But that prince had not been married long before he died, and left
the princess very young. The sultan, out of brotherly love and
friendship, took upon himself the care of his niece's education,
and brought her up in his palace with the three princes, where her
singular beauty and personal accomplishments, joined to a sprightly
disposition and irreproachable conduct, distinguished her among all
the princesses of her time.

The sultan, her uncle, proposed to get her married, when she
arrived at a proper age, to some neighbouring prince, and was
thinking seriously about it, when he perceived that the three
princes his sons had all fallen in love with her. He was very much
concerned, owing to the difficulty he foresaw whether the two
younger would consent to yield to their elder brother. He spoke to
each of them apart; and after having remonstrated on the
impossibility of one princess being the wife of three persons, and
the troubles they would create if they persisted, he did all he
could to persuade them to abide by a declaration of the princess in
favour of one of them; or to suffer her to be married to a foreign
prince. But as he found them obstinate, he sent for them all
together, and said to them, 'Children, since I have not been able
to persuade you no longer to aspire to marry the princess your
cousin; and as I have no inclination to force her to marry any of
you, I have thought of a plan which will please you all, and
preserve union among you, if you will but follow my advice. I think
it would be best, if every one travelled separately into a
different country, so that you might not meet each other: and as
you know I delight in every thing that is rare and singular, I
promise my niece in marriage to him that shall bring me the most
extraordinary curiosity; and for travelling expenses, I will give
each of you a sum befitting your rank and the purchase of the
curiosity you search.'

As the three princes were always submissive and obedient to the
sultan's will, and each flattered himself that fortune would favour
him, they all consented. The sultan gave them the money he
promised; and that very day they issued orders in preparation for
their travels, and took leave of the sultan, that they might be
ready to set out early the next morning. They all went out at the
same gate of the city, each dressed like a merchant, attended by a
trusty officer dressed like a slave, all well mounted and equipped.
They went the first day's journey together; and slept at the first
inn, where the road divided into three different tracks. At night
when they were at supper together, they agreed to travel for a
year, and to make that inn their rendezvous; that the first that
came should wait for the rest; that as they had all three taken
leave together of the sultan, they should all return together. The
next morning by break of day, after they had embraced and wished
each other good success, they mounted their horses, and each took a
different road.

Prince Houssain, the eldest brother, who had heard wonders of the
extent, strength, riches, and splendour of the kingdom of Bisnagar,
bent his course towards the Indian coast; and, after three months
travelling with different caravans, sometimes over deserts and
barren mountains, and sometimes through populous and fertile
countries, he arrived at Bisnagar, the capital of the kingdom of
that name and the residence of its king. He lodged at a khan
appointed for foreign merchants; and having learnt that there were
four principal quarters where merchants of all sorts kept their
shops, in the midst of which stood the castle, or rather the king's
palace, as the centre of the city, surrounded by three courts, and
each gate two leagues distant from the other, he went to one of
these quarters the next day.

Prince Houssain could not see this quarter without admiration. It
was large, and divided into several streets, all vaulted and shaded
from the sun, and yet very light. The shops were all of the same
size and proportion; and all that dealt in the same sort of
merchandise, as well as the craftsmen, lived in one street.

The multitude of shops stocked with the finest linens from several
parts of India, some painted in the brightest colours, with men,
landscapes, trees, and flowers; silks and brocades from Persia,
China, and other places; porcelain from Japan and China, foot
carpets of all sizes,--all this surprised him so much that he knew
not how to believe his own eyes; but when he came to the shops of
the goldsmiths and jewellers (for those two trades were exercised
by the same merchants), he was dazzled by the lustre of the pearls,
diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and other precious stones exposed for
sale. But if he was amazed at seeing so many riches in one place,
he was much more surprised when he came to judge of the wealth of
the whole kingdom by considering that except the Brahmins and
ministers of the idols, who profess a life retired from worldly
vanity, there was not an Indian, man or woman, through the extent
of that kingdom, who did not wear necklaces, bracelets, and
ornaments about their legs and feet, made of pearls and other
precious stones.

Another thing Prince Houssain particularly admired was the great
number of rose-sellers, who crowded the streets; for the Indians
are such lovers of that flower, that not one will stir without a
nosegay in his hand, or a garland on his head; and the merchants
keep them in pots in their shops, so that the air of the whole
quarter, however large, is perfectly perfumed.

After Prince Houssain had run through the quarter, street by
street, his thoughts fully occupied by the riches he had seen, he
was very much tired, and a merchant civilly invited him to sit down
in his shop. He accepted the offer; but had not been seated long
before he saw a crier pass by with a piece of carpet on his arm,
about six feet square, and cry it at thirty purses. The prince
called to the crier, and asked to see the carpet, which seemed to
him to be valued at an exorbitant price, not only for its size, but
the meanness of the stuff. When he had examined it well, he told
the crier that he could not comprehend how so small and poor a
piece could be priced so high.

The crier, who took him for a merchant, replied, 'Sir, if this
price seems so extravagant to you, your amazement will be greater
when I tell you I have orders to raise it to forty purses, and not
to part with it for less.'

'Certainly,' answered Prince Houssain, 'it must have something very
extraordinary about it, which I know nothing of.'

'You have guessed right, sir,' replied the crier, 'and will own as
much when you come to know that whoever sits on this piece of
carpet may be transported in an instant wherever he desires to go
without being stopped by any obstacle.'

At this the Prince of the Indies, considering that the principal
motive of his journey was to carry some singular curiosity home to
the sultan his father, thought that be could not meet with anything
which could give him more satisfaction. 'If the carpet,' said he to
the crier, 'has the virtue you assign it, I shall not think forty
purses too much but shall make you a present besides.'

'Sir,' replied the crier, 'I have told you the truth; and it will
be an easy matter to convince you of it, as soon as you have made
the bargain for forty purses, by experiment. But as I suppose you
have not so much with you, and that I must go with you to the khan
where you lodge, with the leave of the master of the shop we will
go into his back shop, and I will spread the carpet; and when we
have both sat down, and you have formed the wish to be transported
into your room at the khan, if we are not transported thither it
shall be no bargain. As to your present, as I am paid for my
trouble by the seller, I shall receive it as a favour, and be very
much obliged to you for it.'

The prince accepted the conditions, and concluded the bargain; and
having obtained the master's leave, they went into his back shop;
they both sat down on the carpet, and as soon as the prince wished
to be transported into his room at the khan, he found himself and
the crier there, and as he wanted no more convincing proof of the
virtue of the carpet, he counted to the crier forty purses of gold,
and gave him twenty pieces for himself.

In this manner Prince Houssain became the possessor of the carpet,
and was overjoyed that on his arrival at Bisnagar he had found so
rare a treasure, which he never doubted would gain him the Princess
Nouronnihar. In short he looked upon it as an impossible thing for
the princes, his younger brothers, to meet with anything to compare
with it. It was in his power, by sitting on this carpet, to be at
the place of rendezvous that very day; but as he was obliged to
wait for his brothers, as they had agreed, and as he was curious to
see the King of Bisnagar and his court, and to learn about the
laws, customs, and religion of the kingdom, he chose to make a
longer abode there.

It was a custom of the King of Bisnagar to give audience to all
strange merchants once a week; and Prince Houssain, who remained
incognito, saw him often; and as he was handsome, clever, and
extremely polite, he easily distinguished himself among the
merchants, and was preferred before them all by the sultan, who
asked him about the Sultan of the Indies, and the government,
strength, and riches of his dominions.

The rest of his time the prince spent in seeing what was most
remarkable in and about the city; and among other things he visited
a temple, all built of brass. It was ten cubits square, and fifteen
high; and the greatest ornament to it was an idol of the height of a
man, of massy gold: its eyes were two rubies, set so artificially,
that it seemed to look at those who looked at it, on whichever side
they turned. Besides this, there was another not less curious, in a
village in the midst of a plain of about ten acres, which was a
delicious garden full of roses and the choicest flowers, surrounded
with a small wall breast high, to keep the cattle out. In the midst
of this plain was raised a terrace, a man's height, so nicely paved
that the whole pavement seemed to be but one single stone. A temple
was erected in the middle of this terrace, with a dome about fifty
cubits high, which might be seen for several leagues round. It was
thirty cubits long, and twenty broad, built of red marble, highly
polished. The inside of the dome was adorned with three rows of fine
paintings, in good taste: and there was not a place in the whole
temple but was embellished with paintings, bas-reliefs, and figures
of idols from top to bottom.

Every night and morning there were ceremonies performed in this
temple, which were always succeeded by sports, concerts, dancing,
singing, and feasts. The ministers of the temple and the inhabitants
of the place had nothing to live on but the offerings of pilgrims,
who came in crowds from the most distant parts of the kingdom to
perform their vows.

Prince Houssain was also spectator of a solemn feast, which was
celebrated every year at the court of Bisnagar, at which all the
governors of provinces, commanders of fortified places, all the
governors and judges of towns, and the Brahmins most celebrated for
their learning, were obliged to be present; and some lived so far
off that they were four months in coming. This assembly, composed of
innumerable multitudes of Indians, met in a plain of vast extent, as
far as the eye could reach. In the centre of this plain was a square
of great length and breadth, closed on one side by a large
scaffolding of nine stories, supported by forty pillars, raised for
the king and his court, and those strangers whom he admitted to
audience once a week. Inside, it was adorned and furnished
magnificently; and on the outside were painted fine landscapes,
wherein all sorts of beasts, birds, and insects, even flies and
gnats, were drawn as naturally as possible. Other scaffolds of at
least four or five stories, and painted almost all alike, formed the
other three sides.

On each side of the square, at some little distance from each other,
were ranged a thousand elephants, sumptuously harnessed, each having
upon his back a square wooden castle, finely gilt, in which were
musicians and actors. The trunks, ears, and bodies of these
elephants were painted with cinnabar and other colours, representing
grotesque figures.

But what Prince Houssain most of all admired was to see the largest
of these elephants stand with his four feet on a post fixed into
the earth, two feet high, playing and beating time with his trunk
to the music. Besides this, he admired another elephant as big,
standing on a board, which was laid across a strong beam about ten
feet high, with a great weight at the other end which balanced him,
while he kept time with the music by the motions of his body and
trunk.

Prince Houssain might have made a longer stay in the kingdom and
court of Bisnagar, where he would have seen other wonders, till the
last day of the year, whereon he and his brothers had appointed to
meet. But he was so well satisfied with what he had seen, and his
thoughts ran so much upon the Princess Nouronnihar, that he fancied
he should be the more easy and happy the nearer he was to her.
After he had paid the master of the khan for his apartment, and
told him the hour when he might come for the key, without telling
him how he should go, he shut the door, put the key on the outside,
and spreading the carpet, he and the officer he had brought with
him sat down on it, and, as soon as he had wished, were transported
to the inn at which he and his brothers were to meet, where he
passed for a merchant till they came.

Prince Ali, the second brother, travelled into Persia with a
caravan, and after four months' travelling arrived at Schiraz,
which was then the capital of the kingdom of Persia, and having on
the way made friends with some merchants, passed for a jeweller,
and lodged in the same khan with them.

The next morning, while the merchants were opening their bales of
merchandise, Prince Ali took a walk into that quarter of the town
where they sold precious stones, gold and silver work, brocades,
silks, fine linens, and other choice and valuable merchandise,
which was at Schiraz called the bezestein. It was a spacious and
well-built place, arched over, and supported by large pillars;
along the walls, within and without, were shops. Prince Ali soon
rambled through the bezestein, and with admiration judged of the
riches of the place by the prodigious quantities of most precious
merchandise there exposed to view.

But among all the criers who passed backwards and forwards with
several sorts of things to sell, he was not a little surprised to
see one who held in his hand an ivory tube about a foot in length
and about an inch thick, and cried it at thirty purses. At first he
thought the crier mad, and to make sure, went to a shop, and said
to the merchant, who stood at the door, 'Pray, sir, is not that man
mad? If he is not, I am very much deceived.'

'Indeed, sir,' answered the merchant, 'he was in his right senses
yesterday, and I can assure you he is one of the ablest criers we
have, and the most employed of any when anything valuable is to be
sold; and if he cries the ivory tube at thirty purses, it must be
worth as much, or more, for some reason or other which does not
appear. He will come by presently, and we will call him; in the
meantime sit down on my sofa and rest yourself.'

Prince Ali accepted the merchant's obliging offer, and presently
the crier passed by. The merchant called him by his name; and
pointing to the prince, said to him, 'Tell that gentleman, who
asked me if you were in your right senses, what you mean by crying
that ivory tube, which seems not to be worth much, at thirty
purses: I should be very much amazed myself, if I did not know you
were a sensible man.'

The crier, addressing himself to Prince Ali, said, 'Sir, you are
not the only person that takes me for a madman on account of this
tube; you shall judge yourself whether I am or no, when I have told
you its peculiarity. First, sir,' pursued the crier, presenting the
ivory tube to the prince, 'observe that this tube is furnished with
a glass at both ends; by looking through one of them you see
whatever object you wish to behold.'

'I am,' said the prince, 'ready to make you all proper reparation
for the scandal I have thrown on you, if you will make the truth of
what you say appear'; and as he had the ivory tube in his hand, he
said, 'Show me at which of these ends I must look.' The crier
showed him, and he looked through, wishing at the same time to see
the sultan, his father. He immediately beheld him in perfect
health, sitting on his throne, in the midst of his council.
Afterwards, as there was nothing in the world so dear to him, after
the sultan, as the Princess Nouronnihar, he wished to see her, and
saw her laughing, and in a pleasant humour, with her women about
her.

Prince Ali needed no other proof to persuade him that this tube was
the most valuable thing, not only in the city of Schiraz, but in
all the world; and he believed that, if he should neglect it, he
would never meet again with such another rarity. He said to the
crier, 'I am very sorry that I should have entertained so bad an
opinion of you, but hope to make you amends by buying the tube, so
tell me the lowest price the seller has fixed upon it. Come with
me, and I will pay you the money.' The crier assured him that his
last orders were to take no less than forty purses; and, if he
disputed the truth of what he said, he would take him to his
employer. The prince believed him, took him to the khan where he
lodged, counted out the money, and received the tube.

Prince Ali was overjoyed at his bargain; and persuaded himself
that, as his brothers would not be able to meet with anything so
rare and marvellous, the Princess Nouronnihar would be his wife. He
thought now of visiting the court of Persia incognito, and seeing
whatever was curious in and about Schiraz, till the caravan with
which he came returned back to the Indies. When the caravan was
ready to set out, the prince joined them, and arrived without any
accident or trouble at the place of rendezvous, where he found
Prince Houssain, and both waited for Prince Ahmed.

Prince Ahmed took the road to Samarcand; and the day after his
arrival there went, as his brothers had done, into the bezestein.
He had not walked long before he heard a crier, who had an
artificial apple in his hand, cry it at five-and-thirty purses. He
stopped the crier, and said to him, 'Let me see that apple, and
tell me what virtue or extraordinary property it has, to be valued
at so high a rate.'

'Sir,' said the crier, putting it into his hand, 'if you look at
the outside of this apple, it is very ordinary; but if you consider
the great use and benefit it is to mankind, you will say it is
invaluable. He who possesses it is master of a great treasure. It
cures all sick persons of the most mortal diseases, fever,
pleurisy, plague, or other malignant distempers; and, if the
patient is dying, it will immediately restore him to perfect
health; and this is done after the easiest manner in the world,
merely by the patient smelling the apple.'

'If one may believe you,' replied Prince Ahmed, 'the virtues of
this apple are wonderful, and it is indeed valuable: but what
ground has a plain man like myself, who may wish to become the
purchaser, to be persuaded that there is no deception or
exaggeration in the high praise you bestow on it?'

'Sir,' replied the crier, 'the thing is known and averred by the
whole city of Samarcand; but, without going any further, ask all
these merchants you see here, and hear what they say; several of
them would not have been alive this day if they had not made use of
this excellent remedy. It is the result of the study and experience
of a celebrated philosopher of this city, who applied himself all
his life to the knowledge of plants and minerals, and at last
performed such surprising cures in this city as will never be
forgotten; but he died suddenly himself, before he could apply his
own sovereign remedy, and left his wife and a great many young
children behind him in very indifferent circumstances; to support
her family, and provide for her children, she has resolved to sell
it.'

While the crier was telling Prince Ahmed the virtues of the
artificial apple, a great many persons came about them, and
confirmed what he said; and one among the rest said he had a friend
dangerously ill, whose life was despaired of, which was a
favourable opportunity to show Prince Ahmed the experiment. Upon
which Prince Ahmed told the crier he would give him forty purses if
he cured the sick person by letting him smell at it.

The crier, who had orders to sell it at that price, said to Prince
Ahmed, 'Come, sir, let us go and make the experiment, and the apple
shall be yours; it is an undoubted fact that it will always have
the same effect as it already has had in recovering from death many
sick persons whose life was despaired of.'

The experiment succeeded, and the prince, after he had counted out
to the crier forty purses, and the other had delivered the apple to
him, waited with the greatest impatience for the first caravan that
should return to the Indies. In the meantime he saw all that was
curious in and about Samarcand, especially the valley of Sogda, so
called from the river which waters it, and is reckoned by the
Arabians to be one of the four paradises of this world, for the
beauty of its fields and gardens and fine palaces, and for its
fertility in fruit of all sorts, and all the other pleasures
enjoyed there in the fine season.

At last Prince Ahmed joined the first caravan that returned to the
Indies, and arrived in perfect health at the inn where the Princes
Houssain and Ali were waiting for him.

Prince Ali, who was there some time before Prince Ahmed, asked
Prince Houssain, who got there first, how long he had been there;
he told him three months: to which he replied, 'Then certainly you
have not been very far.'

'I will tell you nothing now,' said Prince Houssain, 'but only
assure you I was more than three months travelling to the place I
went to.'

'But then,' replied Prince Ali, 'you made a short stay there.'

'Indeed, brother,' said Prince Houssain, 'you are mistaken: I
resided at one place over four or five months, and might have
stayed longer.'

'Unless you flew back,' replied Prince Ali again, 'I cannot
comprehend how you can have been three months here, as you would
make me believe.'

'I tell you the truth,' added Prince Houssain, 'and it is a riddle
which I shall not explain till our brother Ahmed comes; then I will
let you know what curiosity I have brought home from my travels. I
know not what you have got, but believe it to be some trifle,
because I do not see that your baggage is increased.'

'And pray what have you brought?' replied Prince Ali, 'for I can
see nothing but an ordinary piece of carpet, with which you cover
your sofa, and as you seem to make what you have brought a secret,
you cannot take it amiss that I do the same.'

'I consider the rarity which I have purchased,' replied Prince
Houssain, 'to excel all others whatever, and should not have any
objection to show it you, and make you agree that it is so, and at
the same time tell you how I came by it, without being in the least
apprehensive that what you have got is better. But we ought to wait
till our brother Ahmed arrives, that we may all communicate our
good fortune to each other.'

Prince Ali would not enter into a dispute with Prince Houssain, but
was persuaded that, if his perspective glass were not preferable,
it was impossible it should be inferior, and therefore agreed to
wait till Prince Ahmed arrived, to produce his purchase.

When Prince Ahmed came, they embraced and complimented each other
on the happiness of meeting together at the place they set out
from. Then Prince Houssain, as the elder brother, said, 'Brothers,
we shall have time enough hereafter to entertain ourselves with the
particulars of our travels: let us come to that which is of the
greatest importance for us to know; let us not conceal from each
other the curiosities we have brought home, but show them, that we
may do ourselves justice beforehand and see to which of us the
sultan our father may give the preference.

'To set the example,' continued Prince Houssain, 'I will tell you
that the rarity which I have brought from my travels to the kingdom
of Bisnagar, is the carpet on which I sit, which looks but ordinary
and makes no show; but, when I have declared its virtues to you,
you will be struck with admiration, and will confess you never
heard of anything like it. Whoever sits on it as we do, and desires
to be transported to any place, be it ever so far off, is
immediately carried thither. I made the experiment myself before I
paid down the forty purses, and when I had fully satisfied my
curiosity at the court of Bisnagar, and had a mind to return, I
made use of no other means than this wonderful carpet for myself
and servant, who can tell you how long we were coming hither. I
will show you both the experiment whenever you please. I expect you
to tell me whether what you have brought is to be compared to this
carpet.'

Here Prince Houssain ended, and Prince Ali said, 'I must own,
brother, that your carpet is one of the most surprising things
imaginable, if it has, as I do not doubt in the least, that
property you speak of. But you must allow that there may be other
things, I will not say more, but at least as wonderful, in another
way; and to convince you there are, here is an ivory tube, which
appears to the eye no more a rarity than your carpet. It cost me as
much, and I am as well satisfied with my purchase as you can be
with yours; and you will be so just as to own that I have not been
cheated, when you know by experience that by looking at one end you
see whatever you wish to behold. Take it,' added Prince Ali,
presenting the tube to him, 'make trial of it yourself.'

Prince Houssain took the ivory tube from Prince Ali, and clapped
that end to his eye which Prince Ali showed him, to see the
Princess Nouronnihar, and to know how she was, when Prince Ali and
Prince Ahmed, who kept their eyes fixed upon him, were extremely
surprised to see his countenance change suddenly with extraordinary
pain and grief. Prince Houssain would not give them time to ask
what was the matter, but cried out, 'Alas! princes, to what purpose
have we undertaken long and fatiguing journeys? In a few moments
our lovely princess will breathe her last. I saw her in her bed,
surrounded by her women and attendants, who were all in tears. Take
the tube, behold for yourselves the miserable state she is in.'

Prince Ali took the tube out of Prince Houssain's hand and after he
had looked, presented it to Prince Ahmed.

When Prince Ahmed saw that the Princess Nouronnihar's end was so
near, he addressed himself to his two brothers, and said, 'Princes,
the Princess Nouronnihar, the object of all our vows, is indeed at
death's door; but provided we make haste and lose no time, we may
preserve her life.' Then he took out the artificial apple, and
showing it to the princes his brothers, said to them, 'This apple
which you see here cost as much as either the carpet or tube. The
opportunity now presents itself to show you its wonderful virtue.
Not to keep you longer in suspense, if a sick person smells it,
though in the last agonies, it restores him to perfect health
immediately. I have made the experiment, and can show you its
wonderful effect on the Princess Nouronnihar, if we make all haste
to assist her.'

'If that is all,' replied Prince Houssain, 'we cannot make more
haste than by transporting ourselves instantly into her room by the
means of my carpet. Come, lose no time; sit down on it by me; it is
large enough to hold us all three: but first let us give orders to
our servants to set out immediately, and join us at the palace.'

As soon as the order was given, Prince Ali and Prince Ahmed went
and sat down by Prince Houssain, and all three framed the same
wish, and were transported into the Princess Nouronnihar's chamber.

The presence of the three princes, who were so little expected,
frightened the princess's women and attendants, who could not
comprehend by what enchantment three men should be among them; for
they did not know them at first, and the attendants were ready to
fall upon them, as people who had got into a part of the palace
where they were not allowed to come; but they presently recollected
and found their mistake.

Prince Ahmed no sooner saw himself in Nouronnihar's room, and
perceived the princess dying, than he rose off the tapestry, as did
also the other two princes, and went to the bed-side, and put the
apple under her nose. Some moments after, the princess opened her
eyes, and turned her head from one side to another, looking at the
persons who stood about her; she then rose up in the bed, and asked
to be dressed, just as if she had awaked out of a sound sleep. Her
women informed her, in a manner that showed their joy, that she was
obliged to the three princes her cousins, and particularly to
Prince Ahmed, for the sudden recovery of her health. She
immediately expressed her joy to see them, and thanked them all
together, and afterwards Prince Ahmed in particular, and they then
retired.

While the princess was dressing, the princes went to throw
themselves at the sultan their father's feet, and pay their
respects to him. The sultan received and embraced them with the
greatest joy, both for their return and for the wonderful recovery
of the princess his niece, whom he loved as if she had been his own
daughter, and who had been given over by the physicians. After the
usual compliments, the princes presented each the curiosity which
he had brought: Prince Houssain his carpet, which he had taken care
not to leave behind him in the princess's chamber; Prince Ali his
ivory tube, and Prince Ahmed the artificial apple; and after each
had commended his present, when they put it into the sultan's
hands, they begged him to pronounce their fate, and declare to
which of them he would give the Princess Nouronnihar for a wife,
according to his promise.

The Sultan of the Indies having kindly heard all that the princes
had to say, without interrupting them, and being well informed of
what had happened in relation to the Princess Nouronnihar's cure,
remained some time silent, as if he were thinking what answer he
should make. At last he broke silence, and said to them in terms
full of wisdom, 'I would declare for one of you, my children, with
a great deal of pleasure, if I could do so with justice; but
consider whether I can. It is true, Prince Ahmed, the princess my
niece is obliged to your artificial apple for her cure, but let me
ask you, whether you could have been so serviceable to her if you
had not known by Prince Ali's tube the danger she was in, and if
Prince Houssain's carpet had not brought you to her so soon?

'Your tube, Prince Ali, informed you and your brothers that you
were likely to lose the princess your cousin, and so far she is
greatly obliged to you. You must also grant that that knowledge
would have been of no service without the artificial apple and the
carpet.

'And for you, Prince Houssain, consider that it would have been of
little use if you had not been acquainted with the princess's
illness by Prince Ali's tube, and Prince Ahmed had not applied his
artificial apple. Therefore, as neither the carpet, the ivory tube,
nor the artificial apple has the least preference one over the
other, but, on the contrary, there is a perfect equality, I cannot
grant the princess to any one of you, and the only fruit you have
reaped from your travels is the glory of having equally contributed
to restore her to health.

'If this be true,' added the sultan, 'you see that I must have
recourse to other means to determine with certainty in the choice I
ought to make among you, and as there is time enough between this
and night, I will do it to-day. Go, and get each of you a bow and
arrow, and repair to the great plain outside the city, where the
horses are exercised. I will soon come to you, and I declare I will
give the Princess Nouronnihar to him that shoots the farthest.

'I do not, however, forget to thank you all in general, and each in
particular, for the presents you brought me. I have a great many
rarities in my museum already, but nothing that comes up to the
carpet, the ivory tube, and the artificial apple, which shall have
the first place among them, and shall be preserved carefully, not
only for show, but to make an advantageous use of them upon all
occasions.'

The three princes had nothing to say against the decision of the
sultan. When they were out of his presence, they each provided
themselves with a bow and arrow, which they delivered to one of
their officers, and went to the plain appointed, followed by a
great concourse of people.

The sultan did not make them wait long; and as soon as he arrived,
Prince Houssain, as the eldest, took his bow and arrow, and shot
first. Prince Ali shot next, and much beyond him; and Prince Ahmed
last of all; but it so happened, that nobody could see where his
arrow fell; and, notwithstanding all the search of himself and
everybody else, it was not to be found far or near. And though it
was believed that he shot the farthest, and that he therefore
deserved the Princess Nouronnihar, it was necessary that his arrow
should be found, to make the matter evident and certain; so,
notwithstanding his remonstrances, the sultan determined in favour
of Prince Ali, and gave orders for preparations to be made for the
wedding, which was celebrated a few days afterwards with great
magnificence.





                    PRINCE AHMED AND THE FAIRY.



Prince Houssain would not honour the feast with his presence; he
could scarcely endure to see the princess in the arms of Prince
Ali, who, he said, did not deserve her better or love her more than
himself. He left the court, and, renouncing all right of succession
to the crown, turned dervish, and put himself under the discipline
of a famous sheik, who had gained a reputation for his exemplary
life, and had taken up his abode, together with his disciples,
whose number was great, in an agreeable solitude.

Prince Ahmed did not assist at Prince Ali's and the Princess
Nouronnihar's wedding, any more than his brother Houssain, but did
not renounce the world as he had done. He could not imagine what
had become of his arrow, so he stole away from his attendants, and
resolved to search for it, that he might not have anything to
reproach himself with. With this intention, he went to the place
where the Princes Houssain's and Ali's were gathered up, and going
straight forward from thence, looked carefully on both sides of
him. He went so far, that at last he began to think his labour was
in vain; yet he could not help going forwards, till he came to some
steep, craggy rocks, which would have obliged him to return, had he
been ever so anxious to proceed. They were situated in a barren
country, about four leagues distant from whence he set out. When
Prince Ahmed came near these rocks, he perceived an arrow, which he
picked up, looked earnestly at it, and was in the greatest
astonishment to find it was the same he shot. 'Certainly,' said he
to himself, 'neither I nor any man living could shoot an arrow so
far'; and finding it laid flat, not sticking into the ground, he
judged that it had rebounded from the rock. 'There must be some
mystery in this,' said he to himself again, 'and it may be to my
advantage. Perhaps fortune, to make me amends for depriving me of
what I thought the greatest happiness of my life, may have reserved
a greater blessing for my comfort.' As these rocks were full of
sharp points and crevices between them, the prince, full of these
thoughts, entered a cavity, and looking about, cast his eyes on an
iron door, which seemed to have no lock. He feared it was fastened;
but pushing against it, it opened, and discovered an easy descent,
but no steps. He walked down with his arrow in his hand. At first
he thought he was going into a dark place, but presently a quite
different light succeeded that which he had come out of. Coming
upon a spacious square, fifty or sixty paces distant, he perceived
a magnificent palace; but he had not time to look at it, for at the
same moment a lady of majestic air, and of a beauty to which the
richness of her clothes and the jewels which adorned her person
added nothing, advanced as far as the porch, attended by a troop of
ladies, of whom it was difficult to distinguish which was the
mistress.

As soon as Prince Ahmed perceived the lady, he hastened to pay his
respects; and the lady, on her part, seeing him coming, was
beforehand with him. Raising her voice, she said, 'Come near,
Prince Ahmed; you are welcome.'

It was no small surprise to the prince to hear himself named in a
palace he had never heard of, though so near his father's capital,
and he could not comprehend how he should be known to a lady who
was a stranger to him. At last he returned the lady's salutation,
by throwing himself at her feet, and rising up again, said to her,
'Madam, I return you a thousand thanks for welcoming me to a place
where I had reason to believe my imprudent curiosity had made me
penetrate too far. But, madam, may I, without being guilty of
rudeness, presume to ask you how you know me? and why you, who live
in the same neighbourhood should be so little known by me?'

'Prince,' said the lady, 'let us go into the hall; there I will
gratify your request.'

After these words, the lady led Prince Ahmed into the hall, the
noble structure of which, and the gold and azure which embellished
the dome, and the inestimable richness of the furniture, appeared
to him so wonderful that he had never in his life beheld anything
like it, and believed that nothing was to be compared to it. 'I can
assure you,' replied the lady, 'that this is but a small part of my
palace, and you will say so when you have seen all the apartments.'
Then she sat down on a sofa; and when the prince at her entreaty
had seated himself, she said, 'You are surprised, you say, that I
should know you, and not be known by you; but you will no longer be
surprised when I inform you who I am. You cannot be ignorant that
the world is inhabited by genies as well as men: I am the daughter
of one of the most powerful and distinguished of these genies, and
my name is Pari Banou: therefore I know you, the sultan your
father, the princes your brothers, and the Princess Nouronnihar. I
am no stranger to your love or your travels, of which I could tell
you all the circumstances, since it was I myself who exposed for
sale the artificial apple which you bought at Samarcand, the carpet
which Prince Houssain met with at Bisnagar, and the tube which
Prince Ali brought from Schiraz. This is sufficient to let you know
that I am not unacquainted with anything that relates to you. The
only thing I have to add is, that you seemed to me worthy of a
still better fortune than that of marrying the Princess
Nouronnihar. I was present when you drew your arrow, and foresaw it
would not go beyond Prince Houssain's. I took it in the air, and
made it strike against the rocks near which you found it. It is in
your power to avail yourself of this favourable opportunity.'

As the fairy Pari Banou pronounced these words Prince Ahmed began
to consider that the Princess Nouronnihar could never be his, and
that the fairy Pari Banou excelled her infinitely in beauty and
agreeableness, and, so far as he could judge from the magnificence
of the palace where she resided, in immense riches. 'Madam,'
replied he, 'should I, all my life, have had the happiness of being
your slave, I should think myself the happiest of men. Pardon me my
boldness, and do not refuse to admit into your court a prince who
is entirely devoted to you.'

'Prince,' answered the fairy, 'as I have been a long time my own
mistress, and am not dependent on my parents' consent, it is not as
a slave that I would admit you into my court, but as my husband,
pledging your faith to me. I am, as I said, mistress here; and must
add, that the same customs are not observed among fairies as among
other ladies.'

Prince Ahmed made no answer, but was so full of gratitude that he
thought he could not express it better than by coming to kiss the
hem of her garment. 'Then,' answered the fairy, 'you are my
husband, and I am your wife. But as I suppose,' continued she,
'that you have eaten nothing to-day, a slight repast shall be
served up for you while preparations are making for our wedding
feast this evening, and then I will show you the apartments of my
palace, and you shall judge if this hall is the smallest part of
it.'

Some of the fairy's women who came into the hall with them, and
guessed her intentions, immediately went out, and returned
presently with some excellent meat and wine.

When Prince Ahmed had eaten and drunk as much as he wanted, the
fairy Pari Banou took him through all the rooms, where he saw
diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and all sorts of fine jewels,
intermixed with pearls, agate, jasper, porphyry, and all kinds of
the most precious marbles; not to mention the richness of the
furniture, everything was in such profusion, that the prince
acknowledged that there could not be anything in the world that
could come up to it. 'Prince,' said the fairy, 'if you admire so
much my palace, which is indeed very beautiful, what would you say
to the palaces of the chiefs of our genies, which are much more
beautiful, spacious, and magnificent? I could also charm you with
my garden; but we will leave that till another time. Night draws
near, and it will be time for supper.'

The next hall into which the fairy led the prince, where the cloth
was laid for the feast, was the only room the prince had not seen,
and it was not in the least inferior to the others. He admired the
infinite number of wax candles perfumed with amber which formed an
agreeable and pleasant sight. A large sideboard was set out with
all sorts of gold plate, so finely wrought that the workmanship was
much more valuable than the weight of the gold. Several beautiful
women richly dressed, whose voices were ravishing, began a concert,
accompanied with all kinds of the most harmonious instruments he
had ever heard. When they had sat down to table, the fairy Pari
Banou took care to help Prince Ahmed to most delicious meats, which
the prince had never heard of, but found so nice that he commended
them in the highest terms, saying that they far surpassed those
among men. He found also the same excellence in the wines, which
neither he nor the fairy tasted till the dessert was served up,
which consisted of the choicest sweetmeats and fruits.

After the dessert, the fairy Pari Banou and Prince Ahmed rose from
the table, which was immediately carried away, and sat on a sofa
with cushions of fine silk, curiously embroidered with all sorts of
large flowers, at their backs, and a great number of genie and
fairies danced before them.

The days following the wedding were a continual feast, which the
fairy Pari Banou, who could do it with the utmost ease, knew how to
diversify by new dishes, new concerts, new dances, new shows, and
new diversions; which were all so extraordinary, that Prince Ahmed,
if he had lived a thousand years among men, could not have
imagined.

At the end of six months, Prince Ahmed, who always loved and
honoured the sultan his father, felt a great desire to know how he
was; and as that desire could not be satisfied without his
absenting himself to go and hear it in person, he mentioned it to
the fairy, and desired she would give him leave.

This discourse alarmed the fairy, and made her fear it was only an
excuse to leave her.

'My queen,' replied the prince, 'if you are offended at the leave I
asked, I entreat you to forgive me, and I will make all the
reparation I can. I did not do it with any intention of displeasing
you, but from a motive of respect towards my father, whom I wish to
free from the affliction in which my long absence must have
overwhelmed him; indeed I have reason to think he believes me
dead.'

'Prince,' said she, 'I am so fully convinced that I can depend upon
your sincerity, that I grant you leave to go, on condition that
your absence shall not be long.'

Prince Ahmed would have thrown himself at the fairy's feet, to show
his gratitude; but she prevented him.

'Prince,' said she, 'go when you please; but first do not take it
amiss if I give you some advice how you shall conduct yourself
where you are going. First, I do not think it proper for you to
tell the sultan your father of our marriage, nor what I am, nor the
place where you are settled. Beg him to be satisfied with knowing
that you are happy, and that you desire no more; and let him know
that the sole end of your visit is to make him easy about your
fate.'

She appointed twenty horsemen, well mounted and equipped, to attend
him. When all was ready, Prince Ahmed took leave of the fairy,
embraced her, and renewed his promise to return soon. Then his
horse, which was as beautiful a creature as any in the Sultan of
the Indies' stables, was brought, and he mounted him with an
extraordinary grace, which gave great pleasure to the fairy, and
after he had bid her a last adieu, set out on his journey.

As it was not a great way to his father's capital, Prince Ahmed
soon arrived there. The people, glad to see him again, received him
with acclamations, and followed him in crowds to the sultan's
palace. The sultan received and embraced him with great joy;
complaining at the same time with a fatherly tenderness, of the
affliction his long absence had been to him; which he said was the
more grievous, since as fortune had decided in favour of Prince Ali
his brother, he was afraid he might have committed some act of
despair.

'Sir,' replied Prince Ahmed, 'your majesty knows that when I shot
my arrow the most extraordinary thing that ever befell anybody
happened to me, that in so large and level a plain it should not be
possible to find my arrow. Though thus vanquished, I lost no time
in vain complaints; but to satisfy my perplexed mind, I gave my
attendants the slip, and returned back again alone to look for my
arrow. I sought all about the place where Prince Houssain's and
Prince Ali's arrows were found, and where I imagined mine must have
fallen; but all my labour was in vain, until after having gone four
leagues, to that part of the plain where it is bounded by rocks, I
perceived an arrow. I ran and took it up, and knew it to be the
same which I had shot. Far from thinking your majesty had done me
any injustice in declaring for my brother Prince Ali, I interpreted
what had happened to me quite otherwise, and never doubted but
there was a mystery in it to my advantage; the discovery of which I
ought not to neglect, and which I found out without going further
from the spot. But as to this mystery, I beg your majesty to let me
remain silent, and that you will be satisfied to know from my own
mouth that I am happy and contented. This was the only motive which
brought me hither; the only favour I ask of your majesty is to give
me leave to come often and pay you my respects, and inquire after
your health.'

'Son,' answered the Sultan of the Indies, 'I cannot refuse you the
leave you ask me; but I would much rather you would resolve to stay
with me. At least tell me where I may hear of you, if you should
fail to come, or when I may think your presence necessary.'

'Sir,' replied Prince Ahmed, 'what your majesty asks of me is part
of the mystery I spoke of. I beg of you to give me leave to remain
silent on this head; for I shall come so frequently where my duty
calls, that I am afraid I shall sooner be thought troublesome than
be accused of negligence in my duty.'

The Sultan of the Indies pressed Prince Ahmed no more; but said to
him, 'Son, I penetrate no further into your secrets, but leave you
at your liberty. I can only tell you, that you could not do me a
greater pleasure than to come and by your presence restore to me
the joy I have not felt for a long time, and that you will always
be welcome when you come.'

Prince Ahmed stayed but three days at the sultan his father's
court, and on the fourth returned to the fairy Pari Banou, who
received him with great joy, as she did not expect him so soon.

A month after Prince Ahmed's return from paying a visit to his
father, as the fairy Pari Banou had observed that since the time
that the Prince gave her an account of his journey and his
conversation with his father, in which he asked his leave to come
and see him from time to time, he had never spoken of the sultan,
as if there had been no such person in the world, whereas before he
was always speaking of him, she said to him one day, 'Tell me,
prince, have you forgotten the sultan your father? Do you not
remember the promise you made to go and see him from time to time?
For my part, I have not forgotten what you told me at your return,
and put you in mind of it. Pay him another visit to-morrow, and
after that go and see him once a month, without speaking to me, or
waiting for my leave. I readily consent.'

Prince Ahmed went the next morning with the same attendants as
before, but much finer, and himself more magnificently mounted,
equipped, and dressed, and was received by the sultan with the same
joy and satisfaction. For several months he constantly paid him
visits, and always in a richer and more brilliant equipage.

At last some viziers, the sultan's favourites, who judged of Prince
Ahmed's grandeur and power by the figure he made, abused the
liberty the sultan gave them of speaking to him, to make him
jealous of his son. They represented to him that it was but common
prudence to know where the prince had retired, and how he could
afford to live at such a rate, since he had no revenue or income
assigned him; that he seemed to come to court only to brave him;
and that it was to be feared he might stir up the people's favour
and dethrone him.

The Sultan of the Indies was so far from thinking that Prince Ahmed
could be capable of so wicked a design as his favourites would make
him believe, that he said to them, 'You are mistaken; my son loves
me, and I am assured of his tenderness and fidelity. Be it as it
will, I do not believe my son Ahmed is so wicked as you would
persuade me he is; however, I am obliged to you for your good
advice, and do not doubt that it proceeds from a good intention.'

The Sultan of the Indies said this that his favourites might not
know the impression their hints had made on his mind. He was,
however, so much alarmed that he resolved to have Prince Ahmed
watched, unknown to his grand vizier. For this end he sent for a
sorceress, who was introduced by a private door into his room. 'My
son Ahmed comes to my court every month; but I cannot learn from
him where he resides, and I do not wish to force his secret out of
him; but I believe you are capable of satisfying my curiosity,
without letting him, or any of my court, know anything of the
matter. You know that at present he is here with me, and is used to
go away without taking leave of me, or any of my court. Go
immediately out on the road, find out where he retires, and bring
me word.'

The magician left the sultan, and knowing the place where Prince
Ahmed found his arrow, went thither and hid herself near the rocks,
so that nobody could see her.

The next morning Prince Ahmed set out by daybreak, without taking
leave either of the sultan or of any of his court, according to
custom. The magician, seeing him coming, followed him with her
eyes, till all of a sudden she lost sight of him and his
attendants.

The steepness of the rocks formed an insurmountable barrier to men,
whether on horseback or on foot, so that the magician judged that
there were but two ways; the prince had retired either into some
cavern, or into some place underground, the abode of genies or
fairies. When she thought the prince and his attendants were out of
sight, she came out of the place where she had hidden herself, and
went direct to the hollow where she had seen them go in. She
entered it, and proceeded to the spot where it terminated in many
windings, looking carefully about on all sides. But notwithstanding
all her diligence she could perceive no opening, nor the iron gate
which Prince Ahmed discovered. For this door was to be seen by and
opened to none but men, and only to men whose presence was
agreeable to the fairy Pari Banou, and not at all to women.

The magician, who saw it was in vain for her to search any further,
was obliged to be satisfied with the discovery she had made, and
returned to give the sultan an account. When she had told him what
she had done, she added, 'Your majesty may easily understand, after
what I have had the honour to tell you, that it will be no
difficult matter to give you the satisfaction you desire concerning
Prince Ahmed's conduct. To do this, I only ask time, and that you
will have patience, and give me leave to do it without inquiring
what measures I intend to take.'

The sultan was very well pleased with the magician's conduct, and
said to her, 'Do as you think fit: I will wait patiently,' and to
encourage her, he made her a present of a diamond of great value,
telling her it was only an earnest of the ample reward she should
receive when she had done him that important service, which he left
to her management.

As Prince Ahmed, after he had obtained the fairy Pari Banou's leave
to go to the Sultan of the Indies' court, never failed once a
month, and the magician knew the time, she went a day or two before
to the foot of the rock where she had lost sight of the prince and
his attendants, and waited there with a plan she had formed.

The next morning Prince Ahmed went out as usual at the iron gate
with the same attendants as before, and passed by the magician,
whom he knew not to be such. Seeing her lie with her head on the
rock, complaining as if she were in great pain, he pitied her,
turned his horse about and went and asked her what was the matter,
and what he could do to relieve her.

The artful sorceress, without lifting up her head, looked at the
prince, and answered in broken words and sighs, as if she could
hardly fetch her breath, that she was going to the city, but on the
way thither was taken with so violent a fever that her strength
failed her, and she was forced to stop and lie down, far from any
habitation, and without any hope of assistance.

'Good woman,' replied Prince Ahmed, 'you are not so far from help
as you imagine. I am ready to assist you, and to convey you where
you shall not only have all possible care taken of you, but where
you will find a speedy cure; only get up, and let one of my people
take you.'

At these words, the magician, who pretended illness only to know
where the prince lived, did not refuse the kind offer he made her
so freely, and to show her acceptance rather by action than by
word, she made many affected efforts to get up, pretending that her
illness prevented her. At the same time two of the prince's
attendants alighted off their horses, helped her up, and set her
behind another. They mounted their horses again, and followed the
prince, who turned back to the iron gate, which was opened by one
of his retinue who rode before. When he came into the outer court
of the fairy's palace, without dismounting, he sent to tell her he
wanted to speak to her.

The fairy Pari Banou came with all haste, not knowing what made
Prince Ahmed return so soon. Not giving her time to ask him, he
said, 'My princess, I desire you would have compassion on this good
woman,' pointing to the magician, who was taken off the horse by
two of his retinue: 'I found her in the condition you see, and
promised her the assistance she stands in need of. I commend her to
your care, and am persuaded that you will not abandon her.'

The fairy Pari Banou, who had her eyes fixed upon the pretended
sick woman all the time that the prince was talking, ordered two of
the women who followed her to take her from the two men that held
her up, and carry her into the palace, and take as much care of her
as they could.

Whilst the two women executed the fairy's commands, she went up to
Prince Ahmed, and whispering in his ear said, 'Prince, I commend
your compassion, which is worthy of you, but give me leave to tell
you that I am afraid it will be but ill rewarded. This woman is not
so ill as she pretends to be; and I am very much mistaken if she is
not sent hither on purpose to cause you great trouble. But do not
be concerned, let what will be devised against you; be persuaded
that I will deliver you out of all the snares that may be laid for
you. Go and pursue your journey.'

This discourse of the fairy's did not in the least alarm Prince
Ahmed. 'My princess,' said he, 'as I do not remember I ever did, or
designed to do, anybody an injury, I cannot believe anybody can
have a thought of doing me one; but if they have, I shall not
forbear doing good whenever I have an opportunity.' So saying, he
took leave of the fairy, and set out again for his father's
capital, where he soon arrived, and was received as usual by the
sultan, who restrained himself as much as possible, to disguise the
trouble arising from the suspicions suggested by his favourites.

In the meantime, the two women to whom the fairy Pari Banou had
given her orders carried the magician into a very fine apartment,
richly furnished. First they set her down upon a sofa, with her
back supported with a cushion of gold brocade, while they made a
bed, the quilt of which was finely embroidered with silk, the
sheets of the finest linen, and the coverlid cloth of gold. When
they had put her into bed (for the old sorceress pretended that her
fever was so violent that she could not help herself in the least),
one of the women went out and soon returned again with a china cup
in her hand full of a certain liquor, which she presented to the
magician, while the other helped her to sit up. 'Drink this,' said
she, 'it is the water of the fountain of lions, and a sovereign
remedy against all fevers whatsoever. You will find the effect of
it in less than an hour's time.'

The magician, to dissemble the better, took it after a great deal
of entreaty, as if she was very much averse to having it, but at
last taking the china cup, and shaking her head, as if she did
great violence to herself, swallowed the liquor. When she had lain
down again, the two women covered her up. 'Lie quiet,' said she who
brought her the china cup, 'and get a little sleep if you can; we
will leave you, and hope to find you perfectly cured when we come
an hour hence.'

The magician, who came not to act a sick part long, but only to
discover Prince Ahmed's retreat, and what made him leave his
father's court, being fully satisfied in what she wanted to know,
would willingly have declared that the potion had had its effects
then, so great was her desire to return to the sultan, and inform
him of the success of her commission; but as she had been told that
the potion did not operate immediately, she was forced to await the
women's return.

The two women came again at the time they said they should, and
found the magician up and dressed, and seated on the sofa; when she
saw them open the door she cried out, 'Oh, the admirable potion! it
has wrought its cure much sooner than you told me it would, and I
have waited a long time with impatience, to desire you to take me
to your charitable mistress to thank her for her kindness, for
which I shall always be obliged to her. Being thus cured as by a
miracle, I had rather not lose time, but continue my journey.'

The two women, who were fairies as well as their mistress, after
they had told the magician how glad they were that she was cured so
soon, walked before her, and conducted her through several
apartments into a large hall, the most richly and magnificently
furnished of all the palace.

Pari Banou was seated in this hall, on a throne of massy gold,
attended on each hand by a great number of beautiful fairies, all
richly dressed. At the sight of so much majesty, the magician was
so dazzled, that after she had prostrated herself before the
throne, she could not open her lips to thank the fairy, as she
proposed. However, Pari Banou saved her the trouble, and said to
her, 'Good woman, I am glad I had the opportunity of obliging you,
and to see you are able to pursue your journey. I will not detain
you, but perhaps you may not be displeased to see my palace; follow
my women, and they will show it to you.'

The old sorceress, who had not power nor courage to say a word,
prostrated herself a second time, with her head on the carpet that
covered the foot of the throne, and so took her leave, and was
conducted by the two fairies through all the apartments which were
shown to Prince Ahmed on his first arrival there. But what
surprised her most of all was, that the two fairies told her that
all she saw and admired so much was a mere sketch of their
mistress's grandeur and riches, and that in the extent of her
dominions she had so many palaces that they could not tell the
number of them, all of different architecture, equally magnificent
and superb. They led her at last to the iron gate at which Prince
Ahmed brought her in, and after she had taken her leave of them,
and thanked them for their trouble, they opened it, and wished her
a pleasant journey.

After the magician had gone a little way, she turned back again to
observe the door and know it again, but all in vain, for, as was
before observed, it was invisible to her and all other women.
Except in this, she was very well satisfied with her work, and
posted away to the sultan. When she came to the capital, she went
by a great many by-ways to the private door of the palace. The
sultan being informed of her arrival, sent for her into his
apartment and perceiving a melancholy look on her countenance, he
thought she had not succeeded, and said to her, 'By your looks I
guess that you have not made the discovery I expected from you.'

'Sir,' replied the magician, 'your majesty must give me leave to
represent that you ought not to judge by my looks whether or no I
have acquitted myself well as regards the commands you were pleased
to honour me with. The melancholy you observe proceeds from another
cause than the want of success.'

Then the magician related to the Sultan of the Indies the whole
story of all that happened from beginning to end.

When the magician had ended, she said, 'What does your majesty
think of these unheard-of riches of the fairy? Perhaps you will say
you rejoice at the good fortune of Prince Ahmed your son. For my
part, sir, I beg of your majesty to forgive me if I take the
liberty to say that I think otherwise, and that I shudder when I
consider the misfortunes which may happen to you. And this is the
cause of the melancholy which you perceived. I would believe that
Prince Ahmed, by his own good disposition, is incapable of
undertaking anything against your majesty; but who can say that the
fairy, by the influence she already has over him, may not inspire
him with a dangerous design of dethroning your majesty, and seizing
the crown of the Indies? This is what your majesty ought to
consider serious and of the utmost importance.'

Though the Sultan of the Indies was very sure that Prince Ahmed's
natural disposition was good, yet he could not help being uneasy at
the remarks of the old sorceress, and said, 'I thank you for the
pains you have taken, and your wholesome caution. I am so aware of
the great importance it is to me, that I shall take advice upon
it.'

He had been consulting with his favourites, when he was told of the
magician's arrival. He ordered her to follow him to them. He
acquainted them with what he had learnt, and communicated to them
also the reason he had to fear the fairy's influence over the
prince, and asked them what measures they thought most proper to
prevent so great a misfortune. One of the favourites, taking upon
himself to speak for the rest, said, 'Your majesty knows who must
be the author of this mischief. In order to prevent it, now that he
is in your court, and in your power, you ought not to hesitate to
put him under arrest: I will not say take away his life, for that
would make too much noise; but make him a close prisoner while he
lives.' This advice all the other favourites unanimously applauded.

The magician, who thought it too violent, asked the sultan leave to
speak, which being granted, she said, 'Sir, I am persuaded that the
zeal of your councillors for your majesty's interest makes them
propose arresting Prince Ahmed: but they will not take it amiss if
I suggest to your and their consideration, that if you arrest the
prince, you must also detain his retinue. But they are all genies.
Do they think it will be so easy to surprise, seize, and secure
their persons? Will they not disappear, by the property they
possess of rendering themselves invisible, and transport themselves
instantly to the fairy, and give her an account of the insult
offered to her husband? And can it be supposed she will let it go
unrevenged? But it would be better, if, by any other means which
might not make so great a noise, the sultan could secure himself
against any ill designs Prince Ahmed may have against him, and not
involve his majesty's honour. If his majesty has any confidence in
my advice, as genies and fairies can do things impracticable to
men, he will touch Prince Ahmed's honour, and engage him, by means
of the fairy, to procure certain advantages. For example, every
time your majesty takes the field you are obliged to go to a great
expense, not only in pavilions and tents for yourself and army, but
likewise in mules and camels, and other beasts of burden, to carry
their baggage. Might you not request him to use his interest with
the fairy to procure you a tent which might be carried in a man's
hand, and which should be large enough to shelter your whole army?

'I need say no more to your majesty. If the prince brings such a
tent, you may make a great many other demands of the same nature,
so that at last he may sink under the difficulties and the
impossibility of executing them, however fertile in invention the
fairy who has enticed him from you by her enchantments may be; so
that in time he will be ashamed to appear, and will be forced to
pass the rest of his life with his fairy, excluded from any
connection with this world; and then your majesty will have nothing
to fear, and cannot be reproached with so detestable an action as
the shedding of a son's blood, or confining him in a prison for
life.'

When the magician had finished her speech, the sultan asked his
favourites if they had anything better to propose; and finding them
all silent, determined to follow the magician's advice, as the most
reasonable and the most suited to his mild manner of government.

The next day, when the prince came into his father's presence and
had sat down by him, after a conversation on different subjects,
the sultan said, 'Son, when you came and dispelled those clouds of
melancholy which your long absence had brought upon me, you made
the place you had chosen for your retreat a mystery to me. I was
satisfied with seeing you again, and knowing that you were content
with your condition, without wishing to penetrate into your secret,
which I found you did not care I should. I know not what reason you
had thus to treat a father. I know your good fortune; I rejoice
with you, and very much approve of your conduct in marrying a fairy
so worthy of your love, and so rich and powerful, as I am informed.
Powerful as I am, it was not possible for me to have procured so
great a match for you. Now that you are raised to so high a rank as
to be envied by everybody but a father like me, I not only desire
you to preserve the good understanding we have lived in hitherto,
but to use all your credit with your fairy to obtain for me her
assistance when I want it. I therefore will make a trial this day.

'I am persuaded you could easily procure from her a pavilion that
might be carried in a man's hand, yet which would extend over my
whole army; especially when you let her know it is for me. Though
it may be a difficult thing, she will not refuse you. All the world
knows that fairies are capable of doing the most extraordinary
things.'

Prince Ahmed never expected that the sultan his father would have
asked a thing which, at first sight, appeared to him so difficult,
not to say impossible. Though he knew not absolutely how great the
power of genies and fairies was, he doubted whether it extended so
far as to furnish a tent such as his father desired. Moreover, he
had never asked anything like it of the fairy Pari Banou, but was
satisfied with her continual kindness; therefore he was in the
greatest embarrassment what answer to make. At last he replied,
'If, sir, I have concealed from your majesty what happened to me
and what course I took after finding my arrow, the reason was that
I thought it was of no great importance to you to be informed of
them; and though I know not how this mystery has been revealed to
you, I cannot deny that your information is correct. I have married
the fairy you speak of. I love her, and am persuaded she loves me.
But I can say nothing as to the influence your majesty believes I
have over her. It is what I have not yet made any experiment of or
thought of, and should be very glad if you would dispense with my
undertaking it, and let me enjoy the happiness of loving and being
beloved with all the disinterestedness I proposed to myself. But
the demand of a father is a command upon every child who, like me,
thinks it his duty to obey him in everything. And though it is with
the greatest reluctance imaginable, I will not fail to ask my wife
the favour your majesty desires, but will not promise to obtain it;
and if I should not have the honour to come again to pay you my
respects, that shall be the sign that I have not had success: but I
desire you to forgive me beforehand, and consider that you yourself
have reduced me to this extremity.'

'Son,' replied the Sultan of the Indies, 'I should be very sorry
that what I ask of you should prevent my ever seeing you again. Go,
only ask her. Think with yourself, that as you love her, you could
refuse her nothing; therefore, if she loves you, she will not deny
your request.'

All this discourse of the Sultan of the Indies could not persuade
Prince Ahmed, who would rather he had asked anything than the risk
of displeasing his dear Pari Banou; and so great was his vexation,
that he left the court two days sooner than usual.

When he returned, the fairy, to whom he had always before appeared
with a cheerful countenance, asked him the reason of the
alteration; and finding that instead of answering her, he inquired
after her health to avoid satisfying her, she said to him, 'I will
answer your question when you have answered mine.' The prince
declined it a long time, protesting that nothing was the matter
with him; but the more he denied it, the more she pressed him, and
said, 'I cannot bear to see you in this condition: tell me what
makes you so uneasy, that I may remove the cause of it, whatever it
may be; for it must be very extraordinary if it is out of my
power.'

Prince Ahmed could not long withstand the fairy. 'Madam,' said he,
'God prolong the sultan my father's life, and bless him to the end
of his days. I left him alive, and in perfect health: therefore
that is not the cause of the melancholy you perceive in me. The
sultan has imposed upon me the disagreeable task of worrying you.
You know the care I have taken, with your approbation, to conceal
from him my happiness at home with you. How he has been informed of
it I cannot tell.'

Here the fairy Pari Banou interrupted Prince Ahmed, and said, 'But
I know. Remember what I told you of the woman who made you believe
she was ill, on whom you took so much compassion. It is she who has
acquainted the sultan your father with what you took so much care
to hide from him. I told you that she was no more sick than you or
I, for, after the two women whom I charged to take care of her had
given her the water sovereign against all fevers, which, however,
she had no occasion for, she pretended that the water had cured
her, and was brought to take leave of me, that she might go sooner
to give an account of the success of her undertaking. She was in so
much haste that she would have gone away without seeing my palace,
if I had not, by bidding my two women show it her, given her to
understand that it was worth her seeing. But go on and tell me what
is the necessity your father has imposed on you which has made you
feel troublesome to me, which I desire you will be persuaded you
can never be.'

'Madam,' pursued Prince Ahmed, 'you may have observed that hitherto
I have never asked you any favour, for what, after the possession
of so kind a wife, can I desire more? I know how great your power
is, but I have taken care not to make trial of it. Consider then, I
beg you, that it is not me, but the sultan my father, who,
indiscreetly, as I think, asks of you a pavilion large enough to
shelter him, his court, and his army, from the violence of the
weather, when he takes the field, and yet small enough for a man to
carry in his hand. Once more remember it is not I, but the sultan
my father who asks this favour.'

'Prince,' replied the fairy, smiling, 'I am sorry that so small a
matter should disturb you, and make you so uneasy. I see plainly
two things have contributed towards it: one is, the law you have
imposed upon yourself, to be content with loving me and being
beloved by me, and to deny yourself the liberty of asking me the
least favour that might try my power. The other, I do not doubt,
whatever you may say, was that you thought what your father asked
of me was out of my power. As to the first, I commend you for it,
and shall love you the better, if possible; and for the second, I
must tell you that what the sultan your father asks of me is a
trifle; and upon occasion, I can do much more difficult things.
Therefore be easy, and persuaded that, far from feeling worried, I
shall always take great pleasure in whatever you can desire me to
do for your sake.' Then the fairy sent for her treasurer, to whom
she said 'Nourgihan' (which was her name), 'bring me the largest
pavilion in my treasury.' Nourgihan returned presently with a
pavilion, which could not only be held but concealed in the palm of
the hand when it was closed, and presented it to her mistress, who
gave it to Prince Ahmed to look at.

When Prince Ahmed saw the pavilion, which the fairy called the
largest in her treasury, he fancied she was joking, and his
surprise appeared in his face. Pari Banou burst out laughing.
'What! Prince,' cried she, 'do you think I jest with you? You will
see presently that I am in earnest. Nourgihan' said she to her
treasurer, taking the tent out of Prince Ahmed's hands, 'go and set
it up, that the prince may judge whether the sultan his father will
think it large enough.'

The treasurer immediately went out from the palace, and carried it
to such a distance that when she had set it up one end reached to
the palace. The prince, so far from thinking it small, found it
large enough to shelter two armies as numerous as that of the
sultan his father; and then said to Pari Banou, 'I ask my princess
a thousand pardons for my incredulity: after what I have seen, I
believe there is nothing impossible to you.'

'You see,' said the fairy, 'that the pavilion is larger than your
father may have occasion for; but you are to observe that it
becomes larger or smaller, according to the army it is to cover,
without being touched.'

The treasurer took down the tent again, reduced it to its first
size, and brought it and put it into the prince's hands. He took
it, and next day mounted his horse and went with the usual
attendants to the sultan his father.

The sultan, who was persuaded that such a tent as he asked for was
beyond all possibility, was in great surprise at the prince's
diligence. He took the tent and admired its smallness. But when he
had set it up in the great plain, and found it large enough to
shelter an army twice as large as he could bring into the field,
his amazement was so great that he could not recover himself. As he
thought this might be troublesome in use, Prince Ahmed told him
that its size would always be proportionate to his army.

To outward appearance the sultan expressed great obligation to the
prince his son for so noble a present, desiring him to return his
thanks to the fairy Pari Banou; and to show what a value he set on
it, he ordered it to be carefully laid up in his treasury. But
within himself he became more jealous than ever; considering that
by the fairy's assistance the prince his son might perform things
that were infinitely above his own power, notwithstanding his
greatness and riches; and, therefore, more intent upon his ruin, he
went to consult the magician again, who advised him to request the
prince to bring him some of the water of the fountain of lions.

In the evening, when the sultan was surrounded as usual by all his
court, and the prince came to pay his respects among the rest, he
said to him: 'Son, I have already expressed how much I am obliged
to you for the present of the tent you have procured me, which I
look upon as the most valuable thing in my treasury; but you must
do one thing more for me. I am informed that the fairy your wife
makes use of a certain water, called the water of the fountain of
lions, which cures all sorts of fevers, even the most dangerous;
and as I am perfectly sure that my health is dear to you, I do not
doubt that you will ask her for a bottle of that water for me, and
bring it me as a sovereign remedy, which I may make use of when I
have occasion. Do me this service, and complete the duty of a good
son towards a tender father.'

Prince Ahmed, who had believed that the sultan his father would
have been satisfied with so singular and useful a tent as that
which he had brought, and that he would not have imposed any new
task upon him which might hazard the fairy's displeasure; was
thunderstruck at this new request, notwithstanding the assurance
she had given him of granting him whatever lay in her power. After
a long silence, he said, 'I beg of your majesty to be assured that
there is nothing I would not undertake to prolong your life, but I
wish it might not be by means of my wife. For this reason I dare
not promise to bring the water. All I can do is to assure you I
will ask her; but it will be with as great reluctance as when I
asked for the tent.'

The next morning Prince Ahmed returned to the fairy Pari Banou, and
related to her sincerely and faithfully all that had passed at the
sultan his father's court, from the giving of the tent, which he
told her he received with the utmost gratitude, to the new request
he had charged him to make, and when he had done, he added: 'but,
my princess, I only tell you this as a plain account of what passed
between me and my father. I leave you to your own discretion to
gratify or reject this new desire. It shall be as you please.'

'No, no,' replied the fairy Pari Banou, 'whatever advice the
magician can give him (for I see that he hearkens to her), he shall
find no fault with you or me. There is a great deal of wickedness
in this demand, as you will understand by what I am going to tell
you. The fountain of lions is situated in the middle of a court of
a great castle, the entrance into which is guarded by four fierce
lions, two of which sleep while the other two are awake
alternately. But let not that frighten you. I will give you means
to pass by them without any danger.'

The fairy Pari Banou was at that time hard at work with her needle;
and as she had by her several balls of thread, she took up one, and
presenting it to Prince Ahmed, said, 'First take this ball of
thread; I will tell you presently the use of it. In the second
place, you must have two horses; one you will ride yourself, and
the other you will lead, which must be loaded with a sheep cut into
four quarters, and killed to-day. In the third place, you must be
provided with a bottle, which I will give you, to bring the water
in. Set out early to-morrow morning, and when you have passed the
iron gate, throw before you the ball of thread, which will roll
till it comes to the gates of the castle. When it stops, as the
gates will be open, you will see the four lions. The two that are
awake will, by their roaring, wake the other two. Be not
frightened, but throw each of them a quarter of the sheep, and then
clap spurs to your horse, and ride to the fountain. Fill your
bottle without alighting, and then return with the same speed. The
lions will be so busy eating that they will let you pass.'

Prince Ahmed set out the next morning at the time appointed by the
fairy, and followed her directions carefully. When he arrived at
the gates of the castle, he distributed the quarters of the sheep
amon

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