I gained a good sum of money in a short time, and repaid my
tailor what he had advanced for me.
I continued this way of living for a whole year; and one day, when
by chance I had gone farther into the wood than usual, I happened
to light on a very pleasant place, where I began to cut down wood;
and in pulling up the root of a tree, I espied an iron ring,
fastened to a trap-door of the same metal. I took away the earth
that covered it, and having lifted it up, saw stairs, down which I
went, with my axe in my hand.
When I came to the bottom of the stairs, I found myself in a large
palace, which put me into great consternation, because of a great
light which appeared as clear in it as if it had been above ground
in the open air. I went forward along a gallery supported by
pillars of jasper, the base and capitals of massy gold; but seeing
a lady of a noble and free air and extremely beautiful coming
towards me, my eyes were taken off from beholding any other object
but her alone.
Being desirous to spare the lady the trouble of coming to me, I
made haste to meet her; and as I was saluting her with a low bow,
she asked me, 'What are you, a man or a genie?'
'A man, madam,' said I: 'I have no correspondence with genies.
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