Bahtiyar."—"Oh! if only my mother knew," sighed the youth," she would open her best room." With that he flew into the room, turned into a man, and fondled in his arms his wife and his little child. But when two hours had passed he shivered a little, and a little dove flew out of the window.
But the mother had heard her son's speech, and could scarce contain herself for joy. She hastened to her daughter-in-law, fondled and caressed her, led her into her most beautiful room, and put everything in order against her son's arrival. She knew that the forty Peris had robbed her of him, and she took counsel with herself how she might steal him back again.
"When my son comes to-morrow," said the old woman, "contrive so that he stays beyond his time, and leave the rest to me."
The next day the bird flew into the window, and lo! the damsel was nowhere to be seen in the room. Then he flew into the more beautiful room, and cried, "Oh! my Sultana, what is our little seedling doing?"—And the damsel replied: "No harm hath befallen our little seedling, but he awaits the coming of Bahtiyar." Then the bird flew into the room and changed into a man, and was so taken up with talking to his wife, so filled with the joy of playing with his child and seeing it play, that he took no count of time at all.
But what was the old woman doing all this time?
