While the king was indulging incredible pleasure, Queen Gulnare clapped her hands, and immediately some of her slaves entered, whom she had ordered to bring in a collation:  as soon as it was served up, she invited the queen her mother, the king her brother, and her cousins to partake.  They began to reflect that they were in the palace of a mighty king, who had never seen or heard of them, and that it would be rudeness to eat at his table without him.  This reflection raised a blush in their faces, and in their emotion, their eyes glowing like fire, they breathed flames at their mouths and nostrils.

This unexpected sight put the king of Persia, who was totally ignorant of the cause of it, into a dreadful consternation.  Queen Gulnare, suspecting this, and understanding the intention of her relations, rose from her seat, and told them she would be back in a moment.  She went directly to the closet, and by her presence recovered the king of Persia from his surprise; “Sir,” said she, “I doubt not but that your majesty is well pleased with the acknowledgment I have made of the many favours for which I am indebted to you.  I might have complied with the wishes of my relations, and gone back with them into their dominions; but I am not capable of such ingratitude, for which I should have been the first to condemn myself.”  “Ah! my queen,"cried the king of Persia, “speak no more of your obligations to me; you have none; I am under so many to you, that I shall never be able to repay them.  I never thought it possible you could have loved me so tenderly as you do, and as you have made appear to me in the most endearing manner.”  “Ah! sir,” replied Gulnare “could I do less?  I fear I have not done enough, considering all the honours that your majesty has heaped upon me; and it is impossible for me to remain insensible of your love, after so many convincing proofs as you have given me.”

“But, sir,” continued Gulnare, “let us drop this subject, and give me leave to assure you of the sincere friendship the queen my mother and the king my brother are pleased to honour you with; they earnestly desire to see you, and tell you so themselves:  I intended to have had some conversation with them by ordering a banquet for them, before I introduced them to your majesty; but they are impatient to pay their respects to you; and therefore I beseech your majesty to be pleased to honour them with your presence.”

“Madam,” said the king of Persia, “I should be glad to salute persons who have the honour to be so nearly related to you, but I am afraid of the flames they breathe at their mouths and nostrils.”  “Sir,” replied the queen laughing, “you need not in the least fear those flames, which are nothing but a sign of their unwillingness to eat in your palace, without your honouring them with your presence, and eating with them.”