This was sufficient to oblige Queen Gulnare to yield. She took
leave of the queen her mother, and returned to the palace of the
capital of Persia before she had been missed. She immediately
despatched persons to recall the officers she had sent after the
king, to tell them that she knew where his majesty was, and that
they should soon see him again. She also caused the same report
to be spread throughout the city, and governed, in concert with
the prime minister and council, with the same tranquillity as if
the king had been present.

To return to King Beder, whom the Princess Jehaun-ara's
waiting-woman had left in the island before mentioned; that
monarch was not a little surprised when he found himself alone,
and under the form of a bird. He esteemed himself yet more
unhappy, in that he knew not where he was, or in what part of the
world the kingdom of Persia lay. But if he had known, and had
tried the force of his wings, to hazard the traversing so many
extensive watery regions, and had reached it, what could he have
gained, but the mortification to continue still in the same form,
and not to be accounted even a man, much less acknowledged king
of Persia? He was forced to remain where he was, live upon such
food as birds of his kind were wont to have, and to pass the
night on a tree.

A few days afterwards, a peasant, skilled in taking birds with
nets, chanced to come to the place where he was; when perceiving
so fine a bird, the like of which he had never seen, though he
had followed that employment for a long while, he began greatly
to rejoice. He employed all his art to ensnare him; and at length
succeeded and took him. Overjoyed at so great a prize, which he