When the King heard this he was furious, and he said, “I cannot imagine how he does this, but, tonight, you must tie him to my bed and I will watch to see what happens.”
So that night General Blackbird was escorted to the King’s bedroom, and there he was tied fast to the King’s bed.
The King would not go to sleep, but kept awake listening to find out what the Blackbird was doing.
At midnight the Blackbird began to sing:
“Come out, River, from my ear!
Flow about the King’s room here.
Pour yourself upon his bed!
Drown the King until he’s dead!”
Then out came the River, drip-drip-drip, pour-pour-pouring out of the Blackbird’s ear. It flooded the room; the chairs and tables began to float about; then the King’s bed began to float, and the King himself was wet. At last the King cried out:
“Oh, good General Blackbird, stop the River! I will give you back your wife if you will only be gone and leave me in peace.”