the King's son in the basket, he called together all the birds of the air and asked them, saying: "Which of you goes to the Garden of Paradise?"
"An old owl is the only one that goes there," said the birds, "and he has now grown so old that he has no more strength left for such a journey."
Then the Anka sent a bird to bring the owl on his back. The bird flew away, and in a very short time was back again, with the aged owl on his back.
"Well, my father," said the Bird-Padishah, "hast thou ever been in the Garden of Paradise?"
"Yes, my little son," croaked the aged owl, "a long, long time ago, twelve years or more, and I haven't been there since."
"Well, if thou hast been there," said the Anka, "go again now, and bring me from thence a little glass of water." The old owl kept on saying that it was a long, long way for him to go, and that he would never be able to hold out the whole way. The Anka would not listen to him, but perched him upon a bird's back, and the twain flew into the Garden of Paradise, drew a glass of water, and returned to the Anka's palace.
Then the Anka took the youth's bones and began to put them together. The arms, the legs, the head, the thighs, everything he put in its proper place; and when he had sprinkled it all with the water, the youth
