y.

You may imagine how delighted his sister was when she saw the young
prince return with the Bird of Truth. But a very great difficulty
still remained, and that was, how the bird could be got into the
presence of the king without the knowledge of the courtiers, who were
interested in preventing him from discovering the crime which they had
committed. And what was more, the Court having learned that the Bird
of Truth had been found, the news inspired such dread that few were
able to sleep tranquilly in their beds. All kinds of weapons were
prepared against it; some sharpened, others envenomed; hawks were
trained to pursue it; cages were prepared in which to imprison it, if
it were found impossible to kill it; they slandered it, saying that
its whiteness was an artificial paint, with which it coated its black
plumage; they satirized and ridiculed it in every possible manner. At
last so much was said about the Bird of Truth, that it reached the
king's ears, who wished to see it; and the more that the courtiers
intrigued to prevent it, the more he desired to view the bird.
Finally, his Majesty issued a proclamation, that whoever had the Bird
of Truth in his possession, was to present himself without delay to
the king.

This was the very thing that the boy had wished for. So he hastened to
the palace, carrying the Bird of Truth in his bosom; but, as you can
imagine, the courtiers would not allow him to enter. Then the bird,
taking flight, entered into the royal household by a window, and
presenting itself before the king, said:

"Sir, I am the Bird of Truth; the boy who brought me here in his bosom
has not been allowed by the courtiers to enter."

The king commanded that the boy should be brought in at once, and he
entered with his sister, who had accompanied him to the palace. When
they came into the royal presence the king inquired who they were.

"That the Bird of Truth can tell your Majesty," said the boy.

And, questioned by the king, the bird answered that the children were
his Majesty's own, and informed him of all that had happened. As soon
as the king heard the story of the treason, with tears of joy he
clasped the children in his arms, and ordered masons to open the vault
in which the good queen had been so many years entombed. When the poor
lady came forth she was so white that she looked like a statue of
marble; but as soon as she beheld her children, the blood rushed from
her heart to her cheeks, and sh