'Perhaps,' said he, 'this will give me an appetite, which I have
not had for many a long day, and if so your wife shall have a
hundred pieces of silver.'

The Fowler with great joy ran home to his wife, who speedily made
a savoury stew of the Yellow Bird. But when Badi-al-Zaman reached
the cottage and began eagerly to search in the dish for its head
and its heart he could not find either of them, and turned to the
Fowler's wife in a furious rage. She was so terrified that she
fell upon her knees before him and confessed that her two children
had come in just before he arrived, and had so teased her for some
of the dish she was preparing that she had presently given the
head to one and the heart to the other, since these morsels are
not generally much esteemed; and Badi-al-Zaman rushed from the
cottage vowing vengeance against the whole family. The wrath of a
rich man is generally to be feared, so the Fowler and his wife
resolved to send their children out of harm's way; but the wife,
to console her husband, confided to him that she had purposely
given them the head and heart of the bird because she had been
able to read what was written under its wings. So, believing that
their children's fortunes were made, they embraced them and sent
them forth, bidding them get as far away as possible, to take
different roads, and to send news of their welfare. For
themselves, they remained hidden and disguised in the town, which
was really rather clever of them; but very soon afterwards Badi-
al-Zaman died of vexation and annoyance at the loss of the
promised treasure, and then they went back to their cottage to
wait for news of their children. The younger, who had eaten the
heart of the Yellow Bird, very soon found out what it had done for