Lightning immediately disappeared, and in an instant reached the palace of the magic queen.  He instructed the woman, lifted her up into the air, and transported her to the capital of Persia, where he placed her on the terrace of Gulnare’s palace.  She descended into her apartment, and there found Queen Gulnare and Queen Farasche her mother lamenting their mutual misfortunes.  She made them a profound reverence, and by the relation she gave them, they soon understood the great need King Beder had of their assistance.

Queen Gulnare was so overjoyed at the news, that rising from her seat, she went and embraced the good woman, telling her how much she was obliged to her for the service she had done her.  Then going immediately out, she commanded the trumpets to sound, and the drums to beat, to acquaint the city, that the king of Persia would suddenly return safe to his kingdom.  She then went, and found King Saleh her brother, whom Farasche had caused to come speedily thither by a certain fumigation.  “Brother,” said she to him, “the king your nephew, my dear son, is in the City of Enchantments, under the power of Queen Labe.  Both you and I must go to deliver him, for there is no time to be lost.”

King Saleh forthwith assembled a puissant body of his marine troops, who soon rose out of the sea.  He also called to his assistance the genii his allies, who appeared with a much more numerous army than his own.  As soon as the two armies were joined, he put himself at the head of them, with Queen Farasche, Queen Gulnare, and the princesses, who would all have their share in this enterprize.  They then ascended into the air, and soon poured down on the palace and City of Enchantments, where the magic queen, her mother, and all the adorers of fire, were destroyed in an instant.

Queen Gulnare had ordered the woman who brought the account of queen Labe’s transforming and imprisoning her son, to follow her close, and bade her, in the confusion, go and seize the cage, and bring it to her.  This order was executed as she wished, and queen Gulnare was no sooner in possession of the cage, than she opened it, and took out the owl, saying, as she sprinkled a little water upon him, “My dear son, quit that strange form, and resume thy natural one of a man.”

In a moment Queen Gulnare, instead of the hideous owl, beheld King Beder her son.  She immediately embraced him with an excess of joy, her tears supplying more forcibly the place of words.  She could not let him go; and Queen Farasche was obliged to force him from her in her turn.  After her, he was likewise embraced by the king his uncle and his relations.