86 Be . Prince Ahmed

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 tome. Tam, as I said, mistress here; and must
add, that the same customs aré not observed among fairies as among
other ladies.’

Prince Ahmed made no answer, but was so fall 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 PICSCOuY.
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 gehies, which are much mére beautiful, spacious, and mag-
nificent ? I could also charm you with my garden; but we. will
leave that till another time. nee draws eae, and ice be time
for supper.’

The next hall into. wltich ‘he 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