482 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS.

good, points out. Powerful as I am, | should have been unable
to have provided for you such a connexion as this. In the high
rank to which you are elevated, and which any one but a father
like me would envy, I ask you not only to continue upon the
good terms with me that you have hitherto done, but that you
will employ your influence with the fairy, to obtain her assistance
in anything I may have occasion for it, and I shall, at this
moment, put your influence with her to the test. You cannot
be ignorant of the very great expense, not to mention the trouble
and inconvenience, which my generals and other officers, as well
as myself, suffer from being obliged, every time we take the field
during war, to have pavilions and tents, as well as camels and
other beasts of burthen to carry them from place to place. If
you will consider the pleasure you can afford me, I am sure you
will not make any difficulty in requesting the fairy to give you
such a pavilion that you'can hold it in your hand, and yet suffi-
ciently large to contain my whole army; particularly when you
inform heritisforme. The difficulty of the thing will not cause
you to be refused, for all the world knows that fairies can do
most extraordinary things.”

Prince Ahmed was not in the least prepared to expect that
the sultan his father would make such a request of him, as it
appeared to him not only very difficult, but absolutely impos-
sible ; for although he was not entirely ignorant of the great power
of genii and fairies, he nevertheless very much doubted whether
that power was able to procure such a pavilion as he requested.
Besides, he had not hitherto asked anything of Pari-Banou: he
was satisfied with the continual proofs she gave of her affection,
and he had never neglected anything that tended to convince
her that his regard was equally strong, and that he had no other
wish than to preserve her good opinion. He was, therefore, in
the greatest embarrassment about the answer he should make.
“ Sire,” he replied, “if I have made any mystery to your majesty
of what has happened to me, and of the plan I pursued after
having found my arrow, it arose from my not supposing it a
matter of any importance to you. I am ignorant how this
mystery has been revealed to you, but I cannot, however, pre-
tend to deny the fact,as you have represented it. I am the
husband of the fairy you have mentioned ; I love her, and am
persuaded that her affection for me is equal; but what power