Andrew Lang_Fairy Book 01 (48 page)

As soon as Prince Ahmed perceived the lady, he made
all imaginable haste to go and pay his respects; and the
lady, on her part, seeing him coming, prevented him from
addressing his discourse to her first, but said to him:
"Come nearer, Prince Ahmed, you are welcome."

It was no small surprise to the Prince to hear himself
named in a place he had never heard of, though so nigh
to 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 compliment by
throwing himself at her feet, and, rising up again, said
to her:

"Madam, I return you a thousand thanks for the
assurance you give me of a welcome to a place where I
believed my imprudent curiosity had made me penetrate
too far. But, madam, may I, without being
guilty of ill manners, dare to ask you by what adventure
you know me? and how you, who live in the same neighborhood
with me, should be so great a stranger to me?"

"Prince," said the lady, "let us go into the hall, there
I will gratify you in your request."

After these words the lady led Prince Ahmed into the
hall. Then she sat down on a sofa, and when the Prince
by her entreaty had done the same she said: "You are
surprised, you say, that I should know you and not be
known by you, but you will be no longer surprised when
I inform you who I am. You are undoubtedly sensible
that your religion teaches you to believe that the world
is inhabited by genies as well as men. I am the daughter
of one of the most powerful and distinguished genies,
and my name is Paribanou. The only thing that I have
to add is, that you seemed to me worthy of a more happy
fate than that of possessing the Princess Nouronnihar;
and, that you might attain to it, 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 gave
it the necessary motion to strike against the rocks near
which you found it, and I tell you that it lies in your
power to make use of the favorable opportunity which
presents itself to make you happy."

As the Fairy Paribanou pronounced these last words
with a different tone, and looked, at the same time,
tenderly upon Prince Ahmed, with a modest blush on her
cheeks, it was no hard matter for the Prince to comprehend
what happiness she meant. He presently considered
that the Princess Nouronnihar could never be his and
that the Fairy Paribanou excelled her infinitely in
beauty, agreeableness, wit, and, as much as he could
conjecture by the magnificence of the palace, in immense
riches. He blessed the moment that he thought of seeking
after his arrow a second time, and, yielding to his
love, "Madam," replied he, "should I all my life have
the happiness of being your slave, and the admirer of
the many charms which ravish my soul, I should think
myself the most blessed of men. Pardon in me the boldness
which inspires me to ask this favor, and don't refuse
to admit me into your Court, a prince who is entirely
devoted to you."

"Prince," answered the Fairy, "will you not pledge
your faith to me, as well as I give mine to you?" "Yes,
madam," replied the Prince, in an ecstacy of joy; "what
can I do better, and with greater pleasure? Yes, my
sultaness, my queen, I'll give you my heart without the
least reserve." "Then," answered the Fairy, "you are
my husband, and I am your wife. But, as I suppose,"
pursued 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 at night, and then I will
show you the apartments of my palace, and you shall
judge if this hall is not the meanest part of it."

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

When Prince Ahmed had ate and drunk as much as he
cared for, the Fairy Paribanou carried him through all the
apartments, where he saw diamonds, rubies, emeralds
and all sorts of fine jewels, intermixed with pearls, agate,
jasper, porphyry, and all sorts of the most precious
marbles. But, not to mention the richness of the furniture,
which was inestimable, there was such a profuseness
throughout that the Prince, instead of ever having seen
anything like it, owned that he could not have imagined
that there was anything in the world that could come up
to it. "Prince," said the Fairy, "if you admire my palace
so much, which, indeed, is very beautiful, what would you
say to the palaces of the chief of our genies, which are
much more beautiful, spacious, and magnificent? I could
also charm you with my gardens, but we will let that
alone till another time. Night draws near, and it will be
time to go to supper."

The next hall which the Fairy led the Prince into, and
where the cloth was laid for the feast, was the last apartment
the Prince had not seen, and not in the least inferior
to the others. At his entrance into it he admired the
infinite number of sconces of wax candles perfumed with
amber, the multitude of which, instead of being confused,
were placed with so just a symmetry as formed an agreeable
and pleasant sight. A large side table 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 choruses of beautiful women richly
dressed, and whose voices were ravishing, began a concert,
accompanied with all sorts of the most harmonious
instruments; and when they were set down at table the Fairy
Paribanou took care to help Prince Ahmed to the most
delicate meats, which she named as she invited him to
eat of them, and which the Prince found to be so
exquisitely nice that he commended them with exaggeration,
and said that the entertainment far surpassed those of
man. He found also the same excellence in the wines,
which neither he nor the Fairy tasted of till the dessert
was served up, which consisted of the choicest sweetmeats
and fruits.

The wedding feast was continued the next day, or,
rather, the days following the celebration were a continual
feast.

At the end of six months Prince Ahmed, who always
loved and honored the Sultan his father, conceived a
great desire to know how he was, and that desire could
not be satisfied without his going to see; he told the Fairy
of it, and desired she would give him leave.

"Prince," said she, "go when you please. But first,
don't take it amiss that I give you some advice how you
shall behave yourself where you are going. First, I don't
think it proper for you to tell the Sultan your father of
our marriage, nor of my quality, nor the place where you
have been. Beg of him to be satisfied in knowing you are
happy, and desire no more; and let him know that the sole
end of your visit is to make him easy, and inform him of
your fate."

She appointed twenty gentlemen, well mounted and
equipped, to attend him. When all was ready Prince
Ahmed took his leave of the Fairy, embraced her, and
renewed his promise to return soon. Then his horse,
which was most finely caparisoned, and was as beautiful
a creature as any in the Sultan of Indies' stables, was led
to him, and he mounted him with an extraordinary grace;
and, after he had bid her a last adieu, set forward 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 of joy, and followed
him in crowds to the Sultan's apartment. 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 for that, fortune having decided in
favor of Prince Ali his brother, he was afraid he might
have committed some rash action.

The Prince told a story of his adventures without speaking
of the Fairy, whom he said that he must not mention,
and ended: "The only favor I ask of your Majesty is to
give me leave to come often and pay you my respects, and
to know how you do."

"Son," answered the Sultan of the Indies, "I cannot
refuse you the leave you ask me; but I should much
rather you would resolve to stay with me; at least tell me
where I may send to 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 to your Majesty of. I beg
of you to give me leave to remain silent on this head, for I
shall come so frequently that I am afraid that 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 farther into
your secrets, but leave you at your liberty; but can 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 this long time, and that you shall always be
welcome when you come, without interrupting your business
or pleasure."

Prince Ahmed stayed but three days at the Sultan his
father's Court, and the fourth returned to the Fairy
Paribanou, who did not expect him so soon.

A month after Prince Ahmed's return from paying a
visit to his father, as the Fairy Paribanou had observed
that the Prince, since the time that he gave her an account
of his journey, his discourse with his father, and the leave
he asked to go and see him often, had never talked of the
Sultan, as if there had been no such person in the world,
whereas before he was always speaking of him, she thought
he forebore on her account; therefore she took an opportunity
to say to him one day: "Prince, tell me, have you
forgot the Sultan your father? Don't you remember the
promise you made to go and see him often? For my part
I have not forgot what you told me at your return, and
so put you in mind of it, that you may not be long before
you acquit yourself of your promise."

So Prince Ahmed went the next morning with the same
attendance 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 his visits, always
in a richer and finer equipage.

At last some viziers, the Sultan's favorites, who judged
of Prince Ahmed's grandeur and power by the figure he
cut, made the Sultan jealous of his son, saying it was to
be feared he might inveigle himself into the people's favor
and dethrone him.

The Sultan of the Indies was so far from thinking that
Prince Ahmed could be capable of so pernicious a design
as his favorites would make him believe that he said
to them: "You are mistaken; my son loves me, and I am
certain of his tenderness and fidelity, as I have given him
no reason to be disgusted."

But the favorites went on abusing Prince Ahmed till
the Sultan said: "Be it as it will, I don't believe my son
Ahmed is so wicked as you would persuade me he is; how
ever, I am obliged to you for your good advice, and don't
dispute but that it proceeds from your good intentions."

The Sultan of the Indies said this that his favorites
might not know the impressions their discourse had made
on his mind; which had so alarmed him that he resolved
to have Prince Ahmed watched unknown to his grand
vizier. So he sent for a female magician, who was introduced
by a back door into his apartment. "Go immediately,"
he said, "and follow my son, and watch him so well
as to 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 immediately
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 any of his
Court, according to custom. The magician, seeing him
coming, followed him with her eyes, till on a sudden she
lost sight of him and his attendants.

As the rocks were very steep and craggy, they were an
insurmountable barrier, so that the magician judged that
there were but two things for it: either that the Prince
retired into some cavern, or an abode of genies or fairies.
Thereupon she came out of the place where she was hid
and went directly to the hollow way, which she traced
till she came to the farther end, looking carefully about
on all sides; but, notwithstanding all her diligence, could
perceive no opening, not so much as the iron gate which
Prince Ahmed discovered, which was to be seen and
opened to none but men, and only to such whose presence
was agreeable to the Fairy Paribanou.

The magician, who saw it was in vain for her to search
any farther, was obliged to be satisfied with the discovery
she had made, and returned to give the Sultan an account.

The Sultan was very well pleased with the magician's
conduct, and said to her: "Do you as you think fit; I'll
wait patiently the event of your promises," and to
encourage her made her a present of a diamond of great
value.

As Prince Ahmed had obtained the Fairy Paribanou's
leave to go to the Sultan of the Indies' Court once a
month, he never failed, and the magician, knowing the
time, went a day or two before to the foot of the rock
where she lost sight of the Prince and his attendants, and
waited there.

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,
and, seeing her lie with her head against the rock, and
complaining as if she were in great pain, he pitied her,
turned his horse about, went to her, and asked her what
was the matter with her, and what he could do to ease her.

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