100 rae : | . - Prince Ahmed |

feason 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 lam 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.

‘Iam persuaded you could easily procure from her a pevinon
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 cee that the sultan his eae
‘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. Tis what