Prince Ahmed; you are welcome.'

It was no small surprise to the prince to hear himself named in a
palace he had never heard of, though so near 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 salutation,
by throwing himself at her feet, and rising up again, said to her,
'Madam, I return you a thousand thanks for welcoming me to a place
where I had reason to believe my imprudent curiosity had made me
penetrate too far. But, madam, may I, without being guilty of
rudeness, presume to ask you how you know me? and why you, who live
in the same neighbourhood should be so little known by me?'

'Prince,' said the lady, 'let us go into the hall; there I will
gratify your request.'

After these words, the lady led Prince Ahmed into the hall, the
noble structure of which, and the gold and azure which embellished
the dome, and the inestimable richness of the furniture, appeared
to him so wonderful that he had never in his life beheld anything
like it, and believed that nothing was to be compared to it. 'I can
assure you,' replied the lady, 'that this is but a small part of my
palace, and you will say so when you have seen all the apartments.'
Then she sat down on a sofa; and when the prince at her entreaty
had seated himself, she said, 'You are surprised, you say, that I
should know you, and not be known by you; but you will no longer be
surprised when I inform you who I am. You cannot be ignorant that
the world is inhabited by genies as well as men: I am the daughter
of one of the most powerful and distinguished of these genies, and
my name is Pari Banou: therefore I know you, the sultan your