A certain man, who was also a merchant, had married a fair wife, a woman of perfect beauty and grace, of perfect symmetry and loveliness, of whom he was madly jealous, and who had contrived successfully to keep him from travel. At last an occasion compelled him to leave her, so he went to the bird market and bought for one hundred gold pieces a female parrot which he placed in his house to act as her guardian, expecting her to acquaint him on his return with all that had passed during the whole time of his absence; for the bird was keen and cunning and never forgot what she had seen and heard. Now his fair wife had fallen in love with a young Turk, who used to visit her, and she entertained him by day and lay with him by night. When the man had completed his journey and achieved his purpose, he came home; and, at once having the Parrot brought to him, questioned her concerning the conduct of his wife whilst he was in foreign parts. She said, "Your wife has a male friend who passed every night with her during your absence." Thereupon the husband went to his wife in a violent rage and beat her with a beating severe enough to satisfy anybody. The woman, suspecting that one of the slave girls had been tattling to the master, called them together and questioned them upon their oaths, when all swore that they had kept the secret, but that the Parrot had not, adding, "And we heard her with our own ears."

Upon this the woman bade one of the girls to set a hand mill under the cage and grind with it and a second to sprinkle water through the cage roof and a third to run about, right and left, flashing a mirror of bright steel through the livelong night. Next morning when the husband returned home after being entertained by one of his friends, he had the Parrot brought to him and asked what had taken place whilst he was away. "Pardon me, O my master," said the bird, "I could neither hear nor see anything by reason of the exceeding darkness and the thunder and lightning which lasted throughout the night." As it happened to be the summer season the master was astounded and cried, "But we are now in mid Tammuz, and this is not the time for rains and storms." "Ay, by God," rejoined the bird, "I saw with these eyes what my tongue has told you." Upon this the man, not knowing the truth nor guessing the plot, grew exceeding angry; and, thinking that his wife had been wrongfully accused, put forth his hand and, pulling the Parrot from her cage, dashed her upon the ground with such force that he killed her on the spot. Some days afterwards one of his slave girls confessed to him the whole truth, yet would he not believe it until he saw the young Turk, his wife's lover, coming out of her chamber, when he drew his blade and slew him by a blow on the back of the neck; and he did the same to the adulteress; and thus the two, laden with mortal sin, went straightway to Eternal Fire.

Then the merchant knew that the Parrot had told him the truth of all she had seen and he mourned grievously for her loss, when mourning could not avail him. The Minister, hearing the words of King Yunan, rejoined, "O Monarch, high in dignity, what harm have I done him, or what evil have I seen from him that I should compass his death? I would not do this thing save to serve you, and soon shall you see that it is right; and if you accept my advice you shall be saved, otherwise you shall be destroyed even as a certain Wazir who acted treacherously by the young Prince." Asked the King, "How was that?" and the Minister thus began