was laid for the feast, was the only room the prince had not seen,
and it was not in the least inferior to the others. He admired the
infinite number of wax candles perfumed with amber which formed an
agreeable and pleasant sight. A large sideboard 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 beautiful
women richly dressed, whose voices were ravishing, began a concert,
accompanied with all kinds of the most harmonious instruments he
had ever heard. When they had sat down to table, the fairy Pari
Banou took care to help Prince Ahmed to most delicious meats, which
the prince had never heard of, but found so nice that he commended
them in the highest terms, saying that they far surpassed those
among men. He found also the same excellence in the wines, which
neither he nor the fairy tasted till the dessert was served up,
which consisted of the choicest sweetmeats and fruits.

After the dessert, the fairy Pari Banou and Prince Ahmed rose from
the table, which was immediately carried away, and sat on a sofa
with cushions of fine silk, curiously embroidered with all sorts of
large flowers, at their backs, and a great number of genie and
fairies danced before them.

The days following the wedding were a continual feast, which the
fairy Pari Banou, who could do it with the utmost ease, knew how to
diversify by new dishes, new concerts, new dances, new shows, and
new diversions; which were all so extraordinary, that Prince Ahmed,
if he had lived a thousand years among men, could not have
imagined.

At the end of six months, Prince Ahmed, who always loved and