aw one of them turn out of
the road at some distance, and shewed 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 therefore put his
sword again into 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 way they had come, though not without
alarming the populace, who fled or hid themselves to avoid them,
notwithstanding they walked gently and shewed no signs of
fierceness.

A number of officers came to attend the prince while he
dismounted, and conduct him to the sultan's apartment, who was at
that time conversing with his favourites. He approached the
throne, laid the bottle at the sultan's feet, kissed the rich
carpet which covered the footstool, and rising, said, "I have
brought you, sir, the salutary water which your majesty so much
desired to store up among other rarities in your treasury; but at
the same time wish you such health as never to have occasion to
make use of it."

After the prince had concluded his compliment, the sultan placed
him on his right hand, and said, "Son, I am much obliged to you
for this valuable present; as also for the great danger you have
exposed yourself to on my account (which I have been informed of
by the sorceress, who knows the fountain of lions); but do me the
pleasure, continued he, to inform me by what address, or rather
by what incredible power, you have been preserved."

"Sir," replied prince Ahmed, "I have no share in the compliment
your majesty is pleased to make me; all the honour is due to the
fairy my spouse, and I take no other merit than that of having
followed her advice." Then he informed the sultan what that
advice was, by the relation of his expedition, and how he had
conducted himself. When he had done, the sultan, who shewed
outwardly all the demonstrations of joy, but secretly became more
and more jealous, retired into an inward apartment, whence he
sent for the sorceress.

The sorceress, on her arrival, saved the sultan the trouble of
telling her of the success of prince Ahmed's journey, which she
had heard before she came, and therefore was prepared with a new
request. This she communicated to the sultan, who declared it the
next day to the prince, in the midst of all his courtiers, in
these words: "Son, I have one thing