love and tenderness as though they had been his very own.  And now, O Khusrau Shah, wake from thy sleep of ignorance and heedlessness, and know that these two Princes Bahman and Parwez and the Princess Perizadah their sister are thine own issue and thy rightful heirs.”  When the King heard these words and was assured of the purport being true and understood the evil doing of those Satans, his sisters-in-law, he said, “O Bird, I am indeed persuaded of thy soothfastness, for when I first saw these youths at the hunting-ground my bowels yearned with affection towards them and my heart felt constrained to love them as though they had been my own seed.  Both they and their sister have drawn my affections to them as a magnet draweth iron:  and the voice of blood crieth to me and compelleth me to confess the tie and to acknowledge that they are my true children, borne in the womb of my Queen, whose direful Destiny I have been the means of carrying out.”  Then turning to the Princes and their sister he said with tearful eyes and broken voice, “Ye are my children and henceforth do ye regard me as your father.”  At this they ran to him with rare delight and falling on his neck embraced him.  Then they all sat down to meat and when they had finished eating, Khusrau Shah said to them, “O my children, I must now leave you, but Inshallah—­Allah willing—­I will come again to-morrow and bring with me the Queen your mother.”  So saying he farewelled them fondly and mounting his horse departed to his palace; and no sooner had he seated himself upon his throne than he summoned the Grand Wazir and commanded him saying, “Do thou send this instant and bind in heaviest bonds those vile women, the sisters of my Queen; for their ill deeds have at last come to light and they deserve to die the death of murtherers.  Let the Sworder forthright make sharp his sword; for the ground thirsteth for their blood.  Go see thyself that they are beheaded without stay or delay:  await not other order, but instantly obey my commandment.”  The Grand Wazir went forth at one and in his presence the Envious Sisters were decapitated and this underwent fit punishment for their malice and their evil doing.  After this, Khusrau Shah with his retinue walked afoot to the Cathedral-mosque whereby the Queen had been imprisoned for so many years in bitter grief and tenderly embraced her.  Then seeing her sad plight and her careworn countenance and wretched attire he wept and cried, “Allah Almighty forgive me this mine unjust and wrongful dealing towards thee.  I have put to death thy sisters who deceitfully and despitefully raised my wrath and anger against thee, the innocent, the guiltless; and they have received due retribution for their misdeeds.”—­And as the morn began to dawn Shahrazad held her peace till

      The end of the Six Hundred and Eighty-eighth Night.