The emperor went into the hall; and as the bird continued singing, the princess raised her voice, and said, “My slave, here is the emperor, pay your compliments to him.”  The bird left off singing that instant, when all the other birds ceased also, and it said, “The emperor is welcome; God prosper him, and prolong his life.”  As the entertainment was served on the sofa near the window where the bird was placed, the sultan replied, as he was taking his seat, “Bird, I thank you, and am overjoyed to find in you the sultan and king of birds.”

As soon as the emperor saw the dish of cucumbers set before him, thinking it was stuffed in the best manner, he reached out his hand and took one; but when he cut it, was in 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 eaten?” He looked at the two princes and princess to ask them the meaning:  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 so easily believe that the queen your wife was delivered of a dog, a cat, and a piece of wood?” “I believed these things,” replied the emperor, “because the midwives assured me of the facts.”  “Those midwives, sir,” replied the bird, “were the queen’s two sisters, who, envious of her happiness in being preferred by your majesty before them, to satisfy their envy and revenge, have abused your majesty’s credulity.  If you interrogate them, they will confess their crime.  The two brothers and the sister whom you see before you are your own children, whom they exposed, and who were taken in by the intendant of your gardens, who provided nurses for them, and took care of their education.”

This speech of the bird’s presently cleared up the emperor’s understanding.  “Bird,” cried he, “I believe the truth which you discover to me.  The inclination which drew me to them told me plainly they must be my own blood.  Come then, my sons, come, my daughter, let me embrace you, and give you the first marks of a father’s love and tenderness.”  The emperor then rose, and after having embraced the two princes and the princess, and mingled his tears with theirs, said, “It is not enough, my children; you must embrace each other, not as the children of the intendant of my gardens, to whom I have been so much obliged for preserving your lives, but as my own children, of the royal blood of the monarchs of Persia, whose glory, I am persuaded, you will maintain.”

After the two princes and princess had embraced mutually with new satisfaction, the emperor sat down again with them, and finished his meal in haste; and when he had done, said, “My children, you see in me your father; to-morrow I will bring the queen your mother, therefore prepare to receive her.”

The emperor afterwards mounted his horse, and returned with expedition to his capital.  The first thing he did, as soon as he had alighted and entered his palace, was to command the grand vizier to seize the queen’s two sisters.  They were taken from their houses separately, convicted, and condemned to be quartered; which sentence was put in execution within an hour.