472 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS.

upon this subject. “My son,” said he, “I do not wish to pene-
trate any further into your secret. I leave it entirely to your-
self; but I must say that your presence here affords me the
greatest pleasure you can bestow upon me.”

Prince Ahmed remained only three days at the court of the
sultan his father ; he set out very early on the fourth morning,
and Pari-Banou saw him return with the greater joy, as she did
not expect to see him so soon.

About a month after the return of Prince Ahmed, the fairy
observed that he did not speak of the sultan any more than if
no such person existed, although he had formerly constantly
turned the conversation to him, and she concluded that he
abstained from it on her account. She therefore one day said
to him. “Tell me my prince, have you forgotton the sultan
your father, and do you not remember the promise you made
him, that you would frequently go and see him? I now put
you in mind of it, that you may not wait any longer before you
perform your promise. Rather go and visit him to-morrow and
continue to do so every month.”

Prince Ahmed set out the next day with the same attendants,
but better equipped, while he himself was still more magnifi-
cently mounted and dressed than he had been the first time ;
and he was received by the sultan with the same joy and satis-
faction as before. He continued in that way for many months
regularly to go and pay his respects, but always in a richer and
more magnificent style.

At length some viziers, who were favourites of the sultan, and
who judged of the grandeur and power of Prince Ahmed by the
different proofs he thus gave of it, abused the liberty the sultan
allowed them of speaking to him, in order to excite some emo-
tions of anger in the sultan’s breast against his son. They re-
presented to him that it was no more than common prudence in
him to wish to know where the prince’s retreat was ; whence he
derived the means of living at so vast an expense, as he himself
had assigned him no establishment or fixed revenue that could
enable him to come to court, which he did only as a sort of
boast, and to let him see that he had no occasion for the sultan’s
liberality to enable him to live like a prince ; and that, in short,
they were afraid that he intended to excite a rebellion against
his person, and dethrone him.