Page:The jade story book; stories from the Orient (IA jadestorybooksto00cous).pdf/194

178 a sure remedy. You will feel the effect of it in less than an hour."

The two attendants returned in an hour's time and found the sorceress seated on the sofa; who, when she saw them open the door of the apartment, cried out, "Oh, the admirable potion! It has wrought its cure; and being thus cured as by a miracle, I would not lose time, but continue my journey."

The two attendants, after they had told the sorceress how glad they were that she was cured so soon, walked before her, and conducted her through several apartments, all more superb than that wherein she had lain, into a large hall, the most richly and magnificently furnished of all the palace.

Perie Banou was seated in this hall, on a throne of massy gold, enriched with diamonds, rubies, and pearls of an extraordinary size, and attended on each hand by a great number of beautiful fairies, all richly dressed. At the sight of so much splendor the sorceress was not only dazzled, but so struck, that after she had prostrated herself before the throne, she could not open her