She nevertheless resolved to let king Beder know nothing of her resentment, and only sought an occasion to deliver herself dexterously out of his hands, seeming, in the mean time, to have a great kindness for him. Are you then, said she, with all possible civility, son of the queen Gulnare, so famous for her wit and beauty? I am highly glad of it, and moreover rejoice that you are the son of so worthy a mother. The king my father was much in the wrong for so strongly opposing our conjunction: he could no sooner have seen you but he must have consented to have made us both happy. Saying these words, she reached forth her hand to him as a token of friendship. King Beder, believing himself arrived at the very pinnacle of happiness held forth his hand, and was stooping to take that of the princess to kiss it, when she, pushing him back, and spitting at him, said, Wretch, quit that form of a man, and take one of a white bird, with a red bill and feet. Upon her pronouncing these words, king Beder was immediately changed into a bird of that sort, to his great surprise and astonishment. Take him now, said she to one of her women, and carry him to the Desert Island. This island was only one frightful rock, where there was not a drop of water to be had. The waiting-woman took the bird; and, in executing the princess’s orders, had compassion on king Beder’s destiny. It would be great pity, said she to herself, to let a prince, so worthy to live, die of hunger and thirst. The princess will, it may be, repent of what she has ordered, when she comes again to herself: it were better that I carried him to a place where he may die a natural death. She then carried him to a well-frequented island, and left him on a charming plain, planted with all sorts of fruit-trees, and watered by divers rivulets. Let us now return to king Saleh, who, after he had sought a good while for the princess Giahaure, and ordered others to seek for her, to no purpose, caused the king of Samarcand to be shut up in his palace, under a good guard; and, having given the necessary orders for governing the kingdom in his absence, he returned to give the queen his mother an account of what he had done. The first thing he asked, upon his arrival, was, Where was the king his nephew? and he was answered, to his great surprise and astonishment, that he disappeared soon after he left him. News being brought me, said the queen, of the danger you was in at the palace of the king of Samarcand, while I was giving orders to send troops for you to revenge yourself, he disappeared. He must necessarily have been frightened at the hearing of your being in so great danger, and did not think himself in sufficient security with us.