The light in the prince's room surprised her, and without disturbing the slave, who slept across the threshold, she entered the room, and approaching the bed was still more astonished to find it occupied. 

 

The prince lay with his face half hidden by the coverlet（被单，床罩）. Maimoune lifted it a little and beheld¹ the most beautiful youth she had ever seen. 

 

"What a marvel² of beauty he must be when his eyes are open!" she thought. "What can he have done to deserve to be treated like this?" 

 

She could not weary gazing at Camaralzaman, but at length, having softly kissed his brow and each cheek, she replaced the coverlet and resumed her flight through the air. 

 

As she entered the middle region she heard the sound of great wings coming towards her, and shortly met one of the race of bad genii（鬼，魔仆）. This genie³, whose name was Danhasch, recognised Maimoune with terror, for he knew the supremacy⁴（霸权，主权） which her goodness gave her over him. He would gladly have avoided her altogether, but they were so near that he must either be prepared to fight or yield to her, so he at once addressed her in a conciliatory（安抚的） tone: 

 

"Good Maimoune, swear to me by Allah to do me no harm, and on my side I will promise not to injure you." 

 

"Accursed genie!" replied Maimoune, "what harm can you do me? But I will grant your power and give the promise you ask. And now tell me what you have seen and done to-night." 

 

"Fair lady," said Danhasch, "you meet me at the right moment to hear something really interesting. I must tell you that I come from the furthest end of China, which is one of the largest and most powerful kingdoms in the world. The present king has one only daughter, who is so perfectly⁵ lovely that neither you, nor I, nor any other creature could find adequate terms in which to describe her marvellous（不可思议的） charms. You must therefore picture to yourself the most perfect features, joined to a brilliant and delicate complexion⁶, and an enchanting⁷ expression, and even then imagination will fall short of the reality." 

 

"The king, her father, has carefully shielded this treasure from the vulgar gaze, and has taken every precaution to keep her from the sight of everyone except the happy mortal he may choose to be her husband. But in order to give her variety in her confinement⁸ he has built her seven palaces such as have never been seen before. The first palace is entirely⁹ composed of rock crystal, the second of bronze, the third of fine steel, the fourth of another and more precious species of bronze, the fifth of touchstone, the sixth of silver, and the seventh of solid gold. They are all most sumptuously¹⁰ furnished, whilst the gardens surrounding them are laid out with exquisite¹¹（精致的） taste. In fact, neither trouble nor cost has been spared to make this retreat agreeable to the princess. The report of her wonderful beauty has spread far and wide, and many powerful kings have sent embassies to ask her hand in marriage. The king has always received these embassies graciously, but says that he will never oblige the princess to marry against her will, and as she regularly declines each fresh proposal, the envoys¹² have had to leave as disappointed in the result of their missions as they were gratified by their magnificent receptions. 

 

"Sire," said the princess to her father, "you wish me to marry, and I know you desire to please me, for which I am very grateful. But, indeed, I have no inclination¹⁴ to change my state, for where could I find so happy a life amidst so many beautiful and delightful¹⁵ surroundings? I feel that I could never be as happy with any husband as I am here, and I beg you not to press one on me." 

 

"At last an embassy came from a king so rich and powerful that the King of China felt constrained¹⁶ to urge this suit on his daughter. He told her how important such an alliance would be, and pressed her to consent. In fact, he pressed her so persistingly that the princess at length lost her temper and quite forgot the respect due to her father. "Sire," cried she angrily, "do not speak further of this or any other marriage or I will plunge¹⁷ this dagger¹⁸ in my breast and so escape from all these importunities." 

 

"The king of China was extremely indignant with his daughter and replied: "You have lost your senses and you must be treated accordingly." So he had her shut in one set of rooms in one of her palaces, and only allowed her ten old women, of whom her nurse was the head, to wait on her and keep her company. He next sent letters to all the kings who had sued for the princess's hand, begging they would think of her no longer, as she was quite insane, and he desired his various envoys to make it known that anyone who could cure her should have her to wife. #p#分页标题#e#

 

"Fair Maimoune," continued Danhasch, "this is the present state of affairs. I never pass a day without going to gaze on this incomparable beauty, and I am sure that if you would only accompany me you would think the sight well worth the trouble, and own that you never saw such loveliness before." 

 

The fairy only answered with a peal¹⁹ of laughter, and when at length she had control of her voice she cried, "Oh, come, you are making game of me! I thought you had something really interesting to tell me instead of raving²⁰ about some unknown damsel（少女）. What would you say if you could see the prince I have just been looking at and whose beauty is really transcendent（卓越的）? That is something worth talking about, you would certainly quite lose your head." 

 

"Charming Maimoune," asked Danhasch, "may I inquire who and what is the prince of whom you speak?" 

 

"Know," replied Maimoune, "that he is in much the same case as your princess. The king, his father, wanted to force him to marry, and on the prince's refusal to obey he has been imprisoned²¹ in an old tower where I have just seen him." 

 

"I don't like to contradict（反驳，否定） a lady," said Danhasch, "but you must really permit me to doubt any mortal being as beautiful as my princess." 

 

"Hold your tongue," cried Maimoune. "I repeat that is impossible." 

 

"Well, I don't wish to seem obstinate," replied Danhasch, "the best plan to test the truth of what I say will be for you to let me take you to see the princess for yourself." 

 

"There is no need for that," retorted Maimoune; "we can satisfy ourselves in another way. Bring your princess here and lay her down beside my prince. We can then compare them at leisure, and decide which is in the right." 

 

Danhasch readily consented, and after having the tower where the prince was confined pointed¹³ out to him, and making a wager²² with Maimoune as to the result of the comparison, he flew off to China to fetch the princess. 

 

In an incredibly short time Danhasch returned, bearing the sleeping princess. Maimoune led him to the prince's room, and the rival beauty was placed beside him. 

 

When the prince and princess lay thus side by side, an animated²³ dispute as to their respective charms arose between the fairy and the genius. Danhasch began by saying: 

 

"Now you see that my princess is more beautiful than your prince. Can you doubt any longer?" 

 

"Doubt! Of course I do!" exclaimed Maimoune. "Why, you must be blind not to see how much my prince excels your princess. I do not deny that your princess is very handsome, but only look and you must own that I am in the right." 

 

"There is no need for me to look longer," said Danhasch, "my first impression will remain the same; but of course, charming Maimoune, I am ready to yield to you if you insist on it."

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