Andrew Lang_Fairy Book 01 (49 page)

"Good woman," replied Prince Ahmed, "you are not so
far from help as you imagine. I am ready to assist you,
and convey you where you will meet with a speedy cure;
only get up, and let one of my people take you behind
him."

At these words the magician, who pretended sickness
only to know where the Prince lived and what he did,
refused not the charitable offer he made her, and that her
actions might correspond with her words she made many
pretended vain endeavors to get up. At the same time
two of the Prince's attendants, alighting off their horses,
helped her up, and set her behind another, and mounted
their horses again, and followed the Prince, who turned
back to the iron gate, which was opened by one of his
retinue who rode before. And when he came into the
outward court of the Fairy, without dismounting himself,
he sent to tell her he wanted to speak with her.

The Fairy Paribanou came with all imaginable haste,
not knowing what made Prince Ahmed return so soon,
who, not giving her time to ask him the reason, said:
"Princess, I desire you would have compassion on this
good woman," pointing to the magician, who was held
up by two of his retinue. "I found her in the condition
you see her in, and promised her the assistance she stands
in need of, and am persuaded that you, out of your own
goodness, as well as upon my entreaty, will not abandon
her."

The Fairy Paribanou, who had her eyes fixed upon the
pretended sick woman all the time that the Prince was
talking to her, ordered two of her women who followed
her to take her from the two men that held her, and carry
her into an apartment of the palace, and take as much
care of her as she would herself.

While the two women executed the Fairy's commands,
she went up to Prince Ahmed, and, whispering in his ear,
said: "Prince, this woman is not so sick as she pretends
to be; and I am very much mistaken if she is not an
impostor, who will be the cause of a great trouble to you.
But don't be concerned, let what will be devised against
you; be persuaded that I will deliver you out of all the
snares that shall be laid for you. Go and pursue your
journey."

This discourse of the Fairy's did not in the least frighten
Prince Ahmed. "My Princess," said he, "as I do not
remember I ever did or designed anybody an injury, I
cannot believe anybody can have a thought of doing me
one, but if they have I shall not, nevertheless, forbear
doing good whenever I have an opportunity." Then he
went back to his father's palace.

In the meantime the two women carried the magician
into a very fine apartment, richly furnished. First they
sat her down upon a sofa, with her back supported with
a cushion of gold brocade, while they made a bed on the
same sofa before her, the quilt of which was finely
embroidered with silk, the sheets of the finest linen, and the
coverlet cloth-of-gold. When they had put her into bed
(for the old sorceress pretended that her fever was so
violent she could not help herself in the least) one of the
women went out, and returned soon again with a china
dish in her hand, full of a certain liquor, which she
presented to the magician, while the other helped her to sit
up. "Drink this liquor," said she; "it is the Water of the
Fountain of Lions, and a sovereign remedy against all
fevers whatsoever. You will find the effect of it in less
than an hour's time."

The magician, to dissemble the better, took it after a
great deal of entreaty; but at last she took the china dish,
and, holding back her head, swallowed down the liquor.
When she was laid down again the two women covered
her up. "Lie quiet," said she who brought her the china
cup, "and get a little sleep if you can. We'll leave you,
and hope to find you perfectly cured when we come again
an hour hence."

The two women came again at the time they said they
should, and found the magician up and dressed, and sitting
upon the sofa. "Oh, admirable potion!" she said:
"it has wrought its cure much sooner than you told me it
would, and I shall be able to prosecute my journey."

The two women, who were fairies as well as their
mistress, after they had told the magician how glad they
were that she was cured so soon, walked before her, and
conducted her through several apartments, all more noble
than that wherein she lay, into a large hall, the most richly
and magnificently furnished of all the palace.

Fairy Paribanou sat in this hall on a throne of massive
gold, enriched with diamonds, rubies, and pearls of an
extraordinary size, and attended on each hand by a great
number of beautiful fairies, all richly clothed. At the
sight of so much majesty, the magician was not only
dazzled, but was so amazed that, after she had prostrated
herself before the throne, she could not open her lips to
thank the Fairy as she proposed. However, Paribanou
saved her the trouble, and said to her: "Good woman, I
am glad I had an opportunity to oblige you, and to see
you are able to pursue your journey. I won't detain you,
but perhaps you may not be displeased to see my palace;
follow my women, and they will show it you."

Then the magician went back and related to the Sultan
of the Indies all that had happened, and how very rich
Prince Ahmed was since his marriage with the Fairy,
richer than all the kings in the world, and how there was
danger that he should come and take the throne from his
father.

Though the Sultan of the Indies was very well persuaded
that Prince Ahmed's natural disposition was good, yet
he could not help being concerned at the discourse of the
old sorceress, to whom, when she was taking her leave,
he said: "I thank thee for the pains thou hast taken, and
thy wholesome advice. I am so sensible of the great importance
it is to me that I shall deliberate upon it in council."

Now the favorites advised that the Prince should be
killed, but the magician advised differently: "Make him
give you all kinds of wonderful things, by the Fairy's
help, till she tires of him and sends him away. As, for
example, every time your Majesty goes into the field, you
are obliged to be at a great expense, not only in pavilions
and tents for your army, but likewise in mules and camels
to carry their baggage. Now, might not you engage him
to use his interest with the Fairy to procure you a tent
which might be carried in a man's hand, and which should
be so large as to shelter your whole army against bad
weather?"

When the magician had finished her speech, the Sultan
asked his favorites if they had anything better to propose;
and, finding them all silent, determined to follow the
magician's advice, as the most reasonable and most agreeable
to his mild government.

Next day the Sultan did as the magician had advised
him, and asked for the pavilion.

Prince Ahmed never expected that the Sultan his
father would have asked such a thing, which at first
appeared 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
compass such a tent as his father desired. At last he
replied: "Though it is with the greatest reluctance imaginable,
I will not fail to ask the favor of my wife your
Majesty desires, but will not promise you to obtain it;
and if I should not have the honor to come again to pay
you my respects that shall be the sign that I have not had
success. But beforehand, I desire you to forgive me, and
consider that you yourself have reduced me to this extremity."

"Son," replied the Sultan of the Indies, "I should be
very sorry if what I ask of you should cause me the
displeasure of never seeing you more. I find you don't know
the power a husband has over a wife; and yours would
show that her love to you was very indifferent if she, with
the power she has of a fairy, should refuse you so trifling
a request as this I desire you to ask of her for my sake."
The Prince went back, and was very sad for fear of
offending the Fairy. She kept pressing him to tell her
what was the matter, and at last he said: "Madam, you
may have observed that hitherto I have been content with
your love, and have never asked you any other favor.
Consider then, I conjure you, that it is not I, but the
Sultan my father, who indiscreetly, or at least I think so,
begs of you a pavilion large enough to shelter him, his
Court, and army from the violence of the weather, and
which a man may carry in his hand. But remember it is
the Sultan my father asks this favor."

"Prince," replied the Fairy, smiling, "I am sorry that
so small a matter should disturb you, and make you so
uneasy as you appeared to me."

Then the Fairy sent for her treasurer, to whom, when
she came, she said: "Nourgihan"—which was her name—"bring
me the largest pavilion in my treasury." Nourgiham
returned presently with the pavilion, which she
could not only hold in her hand, but in the palm of her
hand when she shut her fingers, and presented it to her
mistress, who gave it to Prince Ahmed to look at.

When Prince Ahmed saw the pavilion which the Fairy
called the largest in her treasury, he fancied she had a
mind to jest with him, and thereupon the marks of his
surprise appeared presently in his countenance; which
Paribanou perceiving burst out laughing. "What!
Prince," cried she, "do you think I jest with you? You'll
see presently that I am in earnest. Nourgihan," said she
to her treasurer, taking the tent out of Prince Ahmed's
hands, "go and set it up, that the Prince may judge
whether it may be large enough for the Sultan his father."

The treasurer went immediately with it out of the
palace, and carried it a great way off; and when she had
set it up one end reached to the very palace; at which
time the Prince, thinking it small, found it large enough
to shelter two greater armies than that of the Sultan his
father's, and then said to Paribanou: "I ask my Princess
a thousand pardons for my incredulity; after what I have
seen I believe there is nothing impossible to you." "You
see," said the Fairy, "that the pavilion is larger than what
your father may have occasion for; for you must know
that it has one property—that it is larger or smaller
according to the army it is to cover."

The treasurer took down the tent again, and brought
it to the Prince, who took it, and, without staying any
longer than till the next day, mounted his horse, and went
with the same attendants to the Sultan his father.

The Sultan, who was persuaded that there could not be
any such thing as such a tent as he asked for, was in a
great surprise at the Prince's diligence. He took the tent
and after he had admired its smallness his amazement was
so great that he could not recover himself. When the tent
was set up in the great plain, which we have before
mentioned, he found it large enough to shelter an army twice
as large as he could bring into the field.

But the Sultan was not yet satisfied. "Son," said he,
"I have already expressed to you how much I am obliged
to you for the present of the tent you have procured me;
that I look upon it as the most valuable thing in all my
treasury. But you must do one thing more for me, which
will be every whit as agreeable to me. I am informed that
the Fairy, your spouse, makes use of a certain water,
called the Water of the Fountain of Lions, which cures
all sorts of fevers, even the most dangerous, and, as I am
perfectly well persuaded my health is dear to you, I don't
doubt but you will ask her for a bottle of that water for
me, and bring it me as a sovereign medicine, which I may
make use of when I have occasion. Do me this other
important piece of service, and thereby complete the duty
of a good son toward a tender father."

The Prince returned and told the Fairy what his father
had said; "There's a great deal of wickedness in this
demand?" she answered, "as you will understand by what
I am going to tell you. The Fountain of Lions is situated
in the middle of a court of a great castle, the entrance
into which is guarded by four fierce lions, two of which
sleep alternately, while the other two are awake. But
don't let that frighten you: I'll give you means to pass by
them without any danger."

The Fairy Paribanou was at that time very hard at
work, and, as she had several clews of thread by her, she
took up one, and, presenting it to Prince Ahmed, said:
"First take this clew of thread. I'll tell you presently the
use of it. In the second place, you must have two horses;
one you must ride yourself, and the other you must lead,
which must be loaded with a sheep cut into four quarters,
that must be killed to-day. In the third place, you must
be provided with a bottle, which I will give you, to bring
the water in. Set out early to-morrow morning, and when
you have passed the iron gate throw the clew of thread
before you, which will roll till it comes to the gates of the
castle. Follow it, and when it stops, as the gates will be
open, you will see the four lions: the two that are awake
will, by their roaring, wake the other two, but don't be
frightened, but throw each of them a quarter of mutton,
and then clap spurs to your horse and ride to the fountain;
fill your bottle without alighting, and then return with
the same expedition. The lions will be so busy eating they
will let you pass by them."

Prince Ahmed set out the next morning at the time
appointed by the Fairy, and followed her directions
exactly. When he arrived at the gates of the castle he
distributed the quarters of mutton among the four lions,
and, passing through the midst of them bravely, got to
the fountain, filled his bottle, and returned back as safe and
sound as he went. When he had gone a little distance from
the castle gates he turned him about, and, perceiving two
of the lions coming after him, he drew his sabre and
prepared himself for defense. But as he went forward he
saw one of them turned out of the road at some distance,
and showed by his head and tail that he did not come to
do him any harm, but only to go before him, and that the
other stayed behind to follow, he put his sword up again
in its scabbard. Guarded in this manner, he arrived at the
capital of the Indies, but the lions never left him till they
had conducted him to the gates of the Sultan's palace;
after which they returned the same way they came, though
not without frightening all that saw them, for all they
went in a very gentle manner and showed no fierceness.