arms, and carried him over, while the flowers and the leaves sang the sweet
songs of his childhood in tones so full and soft that no human voice could
venture to imitate. Within the garden grew large trees, full of sap; but
whether they were palm-trees or gigantic water-plants, the prince knew not.
The climbing plants hung in garlands of green and gold, like the
illuminations on the margins of old missals or twined among the initial
letters. Birds, flowers, and festoons appeared intermingled in seeming
confusion. Close by, on the grass, stood a group of peacocks, with radiant
tails outspread to the sun. The prince touched them, and found, to his
surprise, that they were not really birds, but the leaves of the burdock tree,
which shone with the colors of a peacock’s tail. The lion and the tiger,
gentle and tame, were springing about like playful cats among the green
bushes, whose perfume was like the fragrant blossom of the olive. The
plumage of the wood-pigeon glistened like pearls as it struck the lion’s
mane with its wings; while the antelope, usually so shy, stood near, nodding
its head as if it wished to join in the frolic. The fairy of paradise next made
her appearance. Her raiment shone like the sun, and her serene countenance
beamed with happiness like that of a mother rejoicing over her child. She
was young and beautiful, and a train of lovely maidens followed her, each
wearing a bright star in her hair. The East Wind gave her the palm-leaf, on
which was written the history of the phoenix; and her eyes sparkled with
joy. She then took the prince by the hand, and led him into her palace, the
walls of which were richly colored, like a tulip-leaf when it is turned to the
sun. The roof had the appearance of an inverted flower, and the colors grew
deeper and brighter to the gazer. The prince walked to a window, and saw
what appeared to be the tree of knowledge of good and evil, with Adam and
Eve standing by, and the serpent near them. “I thought they were banished
from paradise,” he said.
The princess smiled, and told him that time had engraved each event on a
window-pane in the form of a picture; but, unlike other pictures, all that it
represented lived and moved,-the leaves rustled, and the persons went and
came, as in a looking-glass. He looked through another pane, and saw the
