O my son, thou consumest my vitals, for that these many days thou hast not mounted horse, and thou grievest and I know not what aileth thee.”  He replied, “O my mother, all is due to yonder accursed, of whom I deemed so well and who hath done this and that.”  Then he related to her the whole story from beginning to end, and she cried to him, “This thy chagrin is on account of a no-better-than-she-should-be!” Quoth he, “I was but considering by what death I should slay them, so the folk may take warning and repent.”  And quoth she, “O my son, ’ware precipitance, for it gendereth repentance and the slaying of them shall not escape thee.  When thou art assured of this affair, do whatso thou willest.”  He rejoined, “O my mother, there needeth no assurance anent him for whom she despatched her Eunuch and he fetched him.”  But she retorted, “There is a thing wherewith we will make her confess,[FN#247] and all that is in her heart shall be discovered to thee.”  Asked the king, “What is that?” and she answered, “I will bring thee the heart of a hoopoe,[FN#248] which, when she sleepeth, do thou lay upon her bosom and question her of everything thou wouldst know, and she will discover the same unto thee and show forth the truth to thee.”  The king rejoiced in this and said to his nurse, “Hasten thou and let none know of thee.”  So she arose and going in to the Queen, said to her, “I have done thy business and ’tis as follows.  This night the king will come in to thee and do thou seem asleep; and if he ask thee of aught, do thou answer him, as if in thy sleep.”  The Queen thanked her and the old dame went away and fetching the bird’s heart, gave it to the king.  Hardly was the night come, when he went in to his wife and found her lying back, a-slumbering; so he sat down by her side and laying the hoopoe’s heart on her breast, waited awhile, so he might be assured that she slept.  Then said he to her, “Shah Khatun,[FN#249] Shah Khatun, is this my reward from thee?” Quoth she, “What offence have I committed?” and quoth he, “What offence can be greater than this?  Thou sentest after yonder youth and broughtest him hither, on account of the lust of thy heart, so thou mightest do with him that for which thou lustedst.”  Said she, “I know not carnal desire.  Verily, among thy pages are those who are comelier and seemlier than he; yet have I never desired one of them.”  He asked “Why, then, didst thou lay hold of him and kiss him?” And she answered, “This youth is my son and a piece of my liver; and of my longing and affection for him, I could not contain myself, but sprang upon him and kissed him.”  When the king heard this, he was dazed and amazed and said to her, “Hast thou a proof that this youth is thy son?  Indeed, I have a letter from thine uncle King Sulayman Shah, informing me that his uncle Bahluwan cut his throat.”  Said she “Yes, he did indeed cut his throat, but severed not the wind-pipe; so my uncle sewed up the wound and reared him, for that his life-term was not come.”