Page:Fairy tales from the Arabian nights.djvu/326

 'Well,' said the sultan, going from the fountain, 'this is enough for one time. I promise to come and visit it very often; but now let us go and see the speaking bird.'

As he went towards the hall, the sultan perceived a prodigious number of singing birds in the trees thereabouts filling the air with their songs and warblings, and asked why there were so many there, and none on the other trees in the garden? 'The reason, sir,' answered the princess, 'is, because they come from all parts round to accompany the song of the speaking bird, which your majesty may perceive in a cage in one of the windows of the hall we are going into; and if you listen you will perceive that his notes are sweeter than those of all the other birds, even the nightingale.'

The sultan went into the hall; and as the bird continued singing, the princess raised her voice, and said, 'My slave, here is the sultan; pay your respects to him.'

The bird left off singing that instant, and all the other birds ceased one after another, and said, 'The sultan is welcome here; Heaven prosper him, and prolong his life!'

As the meal was served by the sofa near the window where the bird was, the sultan replied, as he was sitting down at the table, 'Bird, I thank you, and I am overjoyed to find in you the sultan and king of birds.'

As soon as the sultan saw the dish of cucumbers set before him, thinking they were stuffed in the ordinary manner, he reached out his hand and took one; but when he cut it, he was extremely surprised to find it stuffed with pearls. 'What is this?' said he; 'and why were these cucumbers stuffed with pearls, since pearls are not to be eaten?' Then he looked at the two princes and princess, to ask them the meaning of it: when the bird, interrupting him, said, 'Can your majesty be in such great astonishment at cucumbers stuffed with pearls, which you see with your own eyes, and yet could so easily believe that the sultaness your wife had a dog, a cat, and a piece of wood instead of children?'

'I believed it,' replied the sultan, 'because the two aunts assured me of it.'

'The sultaness' two sisters,' replied the bird, 'were envious of