Page:Fairy tales from the Arabian nights.djvu/293

 horse was to be discerned, the prince, watching his opportunity, jumped nimbly up behind her, and stretching out his hand to the peg, turned it; and just as the horse rose with them into the air, he pronounced these words, which the sultan heard distinctly—'Sultan of Cashmire, when you would marry princesses who implore your protection, learn first to obtain their consent.'

Thus the Prince of Persia recovered the Princess of Bengal, and carried her that same day to the capital of Persia, where he alighted in the midst of the palace, before the king his father's window. The king deferred the marriage no longer than until he could make the preparations necessary to render the ceremony pompous and magnificent.

After the days appointed for the rejoicing were over, the King of Persia's care was to appoint an ambassador to go and give the King of Bengal an account of what had happened, and to demand his approval and ratification of the alliance. This the King of Bengal took as an honour, and granted with great pleasure and satisfaction.