hand, and presented it to her mistress, who gave it to Prince Ahmed to look at.
When Prince Ahmed saw the small case, which the fairy called the largest tent in her treasury, he fancied she had a mind to banter him. On perceiving this, Perie Banou exclaimed, "What, prince! Do you think I jest with you? You will see that I am in earnest. Noor-Jehaun," said she to her treasurer, taking the tent out of Prince Armed's hands, "go and set it up, that he may judge whether the sultan his father will think it large enough."
The treasurer went out immediately with it from the palace, and carried it to a great distance, and then set it up. The prince found it large enough to shelter two armies as numerous as that of the sultan his father. "You see, said the fairy, "that the tent is larger than your father may have occasion for; but you must also be informed that it becomes larger or smaller, according to the extent of the army it is to cover, without applying any hands to it."
The treasurer took down the tent, reduced it to its first size, brought it and put it into
