little upon the bird, said, 'By virtue of these holy and mysterious
words I have just pronounced, quit that form of a bird, and
reassume that which thou hast received from thy Creator.'

The words were scarcely out of the queen's mouth, when, instead of
a bird, the king saw a young prince. King Beder immediately fell on
his knees, and thanked God for the favour that had been bestowed
upon him. Then he took the king's hand, who helped him up, and
kissed it in token of gratitude; but the king embraced him with
great joy. He would then have made his acknowledgments to the
queen, but she had already retired to her apartment. The king made
him sit at the table with him, and, after dinner was over, prayed
him to relate how the Princess Giauhara could have had the
inhumanity to transform into a bird so amiable a prince as he was;
and the King of Persia immediately told him. When he had done, the
king, provoked at the proceeding of the princess, could not help
blaming her. 'It was commendable,' said he, 'in the Princess of
Samandal to feel hurt at the king her father's ill-treatment; but
to carry her vengeance so far, and especially against a prince who
was not guilty, was what she will never be able to justify herself
for. But let us have done with this discourse, and tell me, I
beseech you, in what I can further serve you.'

'Sir,' answered King Beder, 'my obligation to your majesty is so
great, that I ought to remain with you all my life to testify my
gratitude; but since your majesty sets no limits to your
generosity, I entreat you to grant me one of your ships to
transport me to Persia, where I fear my absence, which has been but
too long, may have occasioned some disorder, and that the queen my
mother, from whom I concealed my departure, may be dead of grief,