188 STORIES ABOUT BIRDS. 



have learned of a certain dervise to understand 

 the language of birds, so that there was not a 

 bird that could open his mouth, but the Vizier 

 knew what it was he said. As he was one 

 evening with the Sultan, on their return from 

 hunting, they saw a couple of owls upon a tree 

 that grew near an old wall. "I would fain 

 know," says the Sultan, " what these two owls 

 are saying to one another — listen to their dis- 

 course, and give me an account of it." The 

 Yizier approached the tree, pretending to be 

 very attentive to the two owls. Upon his 

 return to the Sultan, " Sire," says he, " I have 

 heard part of their conversation, but dare not 

 tell you what it is." The Sultan would not be 

 satisfied with such an answer, but forced him 

 to repeat, word for word, every thing the owls 

 had said. " You must know, then," said the 

 Yizier, " that one of these owls has a son, and 

 the other a daugliter, between whom they are 

 now upon a treaty of marriage. The father of 

 the son said to the father of the daughter, in 

 my hearing, ' Brother, I consent to this mar- 

 riage, provided you will settle upon your 

 daughter fifty ruined villages for her portion.' 

 To which the father of the daughter replied, 

 ' Instead of fifty, I will give her five hundred, 

 if you please. God grant a long life to Sultan 



