d planned it all to please them. When they had explored
and admired until they were tired they sat down to rest under the
rose-covered porch, and the Fairy said that to pass the time until the
wedding guests whom she had invited could arrive she would tell them a
story. This is it:

The Yellow Bird

Once upon a time a Fairy, who had somehow or other got into mischief,
was condemned by the High Court of Fairyland to live for several years
under the form of some creature, and at the moment of resuming her
natural appearance once again to make the fortune of two men. It was
left to her to choose what form she would take, and because she loved
yellow she transformed herself into a lovely bird with shining golden
feathers such as no one had ever seen before. When the time of her
punishment was at an end the beautiful yellow bird flew to Bagdad,
and let herself be caught by a Fowler at the precise moment when
Badi-al-Zaman was walking up and down outside his magnificent summer
palace. This Badi-al-Zaman--whose name means 'Wonder-of-the-World'--was
looked upon in Bagdad as the most fortunate creature under the sun,
because of his vast wealth. But really, what with anxiety about his
riches and being weary of everything, and always desiring something he
had not, he never knew a moment's real happiness. Even now he had come
out of his palace, which was large and splendid enough for fifty kings,
weary and cross because he could find nothing new to amuse him. The
Fowler thought that this would be a favourable opportunity for offering
him the marvellous bird, which he felt certain he would buy the instant
he saw it. And he was not mistaken, for when Badi-al-Zaman took the
lovely prisoner into his own hands, he saw written under its right wing
the words, 'He who eats my head will become a king,' and under its left
wing, 'He who eats my heart will find a hundred gold pieces under his
pillow every morning.' In spite of all his wealth he at once began to
desire the promised gold, and the bargain was soon completed. Then the
difficulty arose as to how the bird was to be cooked; for among all his
army of servants not one could Badi-al-Zaman trust. At last he asked the
Fowler if he were married, and on hearing that he was he bade him take
the bird home with him and tell his wife to cook it.

'Perhaps,' said he, 'this will give me an appetite, which I have not had
for many a long day, and if so your wife shall have a hundred piece