perfect union that we undertake and do nothing before we consult her, nor she anything without asking our advice.'
'I commend your brotherly affection,' answered the sultan. 'Consult your sister, meet me here to-morrow hunting, and give me an answer.'
The princes went home, but forgot not only to speak of their adventure in meeting the sultan and hunting with him, but to tell the princess the honour he had done them by asking them to go home with him; yet they did not the next morning fail to meet him at the place appointed. 'Well,' said the sultan, 'have you spoken to your sister, and has she consented?'
The two princes looked at each other and blushed. 'Sir,' said Prince Bahman, 'we beg of your majesty to excuse us, for both my brother and I forgot.'
'Then remember to-day,' replied the sultan, 'and be sure to bring me an answer to-morrow.'
The princes were guilty of the same fault a second time, and the sultan was so good-natured as to forgive their carelessness; but to prevent their forgetfulness the third time, he pulled three little golden balls out of a purse, and put them into Prince Bahman's breast. 'These balls,' said he, smiling, 'will prevent your forgetting a third time what I wish you to do for my sake, since the noise they will make by falling on the floor, when you undress yourself, will remind you, if you do not recollect it before.' The event happened just as the sultan foresaw. For as Prince Bahman unloosed his girdle to go to bed, the balls dropped on the floor, and thereupon he ran into Prince Perviz's chamber, and both went into the Princess Parizade's apartment; and after they had asked her pardon for coming at so unseasonable a time, they told her all about their meeting the sultan.
The Princess Parizade was somewhat surprised at this news. 'Your meeting with the sultan,' said she, 'is very happy and honourable, and may in the end be very advantageous to you, but it is very disagreeable and distressful to me. It was on my account, I know, that you refused the sultan, and I am infinitely obliged to you for it. I know by this that your friendship is as strong as mine, since you would rather be guilty of incivility towards
