Page 333 - Bulbul Hezar

The sultan went into the hall; and as the bird kept singing,
theprincess raised her voice, and said, My slave, here is the

sultan, pay your compliments to him. The bird left off singing
that instant, and said, The sultan is welcome here: God prosper
him, and prolong his life. To which the sultan replied, as he was
sitting down at the table, Bird, I thank thee, and am overjoyed
to find in thee the sultan and king of birds.
As soon as the sultan saw the dish of cucumbers set before him,
he reached out his hand and took one; but when he cut it, he

was in an extreme surprise to find it stuffed with pearls. What
novelty is this, said he; and with what design were these
cucumbers stuffed thus with pearls, since pearls are not to be
ate? 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 so great an astonishment at cucumbers
stuffed with pearls, which you see with your own eyes, and yet
could so easily believe that the sultaness your wife was
delivered of a dog, a cat, and a piece of wood? I believe it,

replied the sultan, because the midwives assured me of it. Those
midwives, sir, replied the bird, were the sultaness's two sisters,
who, envious of her happiness in being preferred by your
majesty before them, to satisfy their envy and revenge, ___

333