and the drums were beaten. Just then the thief came up and said to
the king's men: "Why do you kill this man without any good
reason? I know how the whole thing happened. Take me to the
king, and I will tell all."

So all the king's men took him to the king. And the thief told the
king all the adventures of the night, and said: "Your Majesty, if
you cannot trust my word, you may find the nose at this moment
between the teeth of the dead body."

Then the king sent men to investigate, and when he found it was
true, he released the merchant's son from the punishment of death.
As for wretched Fortune, he cut off her ears, too, and banished her
from the country. And he took from her father, the merchant, all
his money, and made the thief the chief of police. He was pleased
with him.

O Prince, this shows how cruel and false women are by nature.

As he spoke these words, the parrot changed into a god, for the
curse was fulfilled, and went to heaven like a god. And the thrush
suddenly became a goddess, for her curse was at an end, and flew
up likewise to heaven. So their dispute was never settled at that
court.


When the goblin had told this story, he asked the king: "O King,
tell me. Are men bad, or women? If you know and do not tell, your
head will fly to pieces." And when the king heard these words of
the goblin on his shoulder, he said to that magic goblin: "O goblin!