PRINCE BEDER AND PRINCESS JEHAUN-ARA., 115

 

he was sent, he lifted her up into the air, and transported her to the
capital of Persia, where he placed her on the terrace of Gulnare’s
palace. She descended into her apartment, and there found Queen
Gulnare and Queen Fareshah, her mother, lamenting their mutual mis-
fortunes. She made them a profound reverence, and told them the
great need King Beder had of their assistance.

Queen Gulnare was so overjoyed at hearing of her son that she went
and embraced the good woman, telling her how much she was obliged
to her for the service she had done her.

Then going immediately out, she commanded the trumpets to sound,
and the drums to beat, to acquaint the city that the King of Persia
would soon return safe to his kingdom. She then went and found
King Saleh her brother, whom Fareshah had caused to come speedily
thither by a certain fumigation. ‘Brother,’ said she to him, ‘the king
your nephew, my dear son, is in the City of Enchantments, under the
power of Queen Labe. Both you and I must go to deliver him, for
there is no time to be lost.’

King Saleh forthwith assembled a puissant body of his marine troops,
who soon rose out of the sea. He also called to his assistance the
genies his allies, who appeared with an army that outnumbered his
own. As soon as the two armies were joined, he put himself at the
head of. them, with Queen Fareshah, Queen Gulnare, and the princesses,
who would all have their share in this enterprise. They then ascended
into the air, and soon poured down on the palace and City of Enchant-
ments, where the magic queen, her mother, and all the worshippers of
fire, were destroyed in an instant.

Queen Gulnare had brought Queen Labe’s attendant with her, and

now bade her fetch the cage in which her son was imprisoned. Queen
Gulnare was no sooner in possession of the cage than she opened it,
and took out the owl, saying, as she sprinkled a little water upon him,
‘My dear son, quit that strange form, and resume thy natural one of a
man.’
- In a moment Queen Gulnare, instead of the hideous owl, beheld King
Beder her son. She embraced him with an excess of joy, her tears
supplying the place of words. After that he was embraced by the king
his uncle and his relations.

Queen Gulnare’s next care was to look out for old Abdallah, and on
his being brought to her, she said, ‘ My obligations to you have been so
great that there is nothing within my power but I would freely do for
you, as a token of my acknowledgment. Do but inform me in what I
can serve you.’ ‘Great queen,’ replied Abdallah, ‘if the lady whom I
sent to you will but consent to the marriage I offer her, and the King
of Persia will give me leave to reside at his court, I will spend the
remainder of my days in his service.’ The queen then turned to tho
lady, who was present, and finding by her blushes that she was not
averse to the match proposed, she caused them to join hands, and the
King of Persia advanced them to places in his court. Bers