The Goldsmith's Daughter

It is said that a certain goldsmith had a daughter of great beauty. As her father did not wish to marry her to anyone, she asked him to have a boat made for her. The boat was built and decorated, and she took six virgins of her own age with her and went to the river to bathe.

A prince and a vazirzada happened to pass by. On seeing the prince, the goldsmith's daughter hid herself in her boat, forgetting, however, to take her comb and the hair left in it with her.

The prince, seeing the comb and the hair, fell in love. He returned to his father and declared that he was dying for love of a woman he had seen on the riverbank. He asked that a vessel be built so that he could search for her. The vessel was built, and the prince sailed to the town where the goldsmith's daughter lived.

The governor of the district had ordered that all travellers must stay in the appointed caravanserai.

The prince and his companion instead went to the house of a gardener and asked permission to stay there, but were refused. The vazirzada gave the gardener two mohurs, after which they were allowed to remain.

One day, during a conversation, the gardener mentioned that he took a garland to the goldsmith's daughter every day. The prince said that he, too, would make a garland to be delivered alongside the gardener's.

The prince decorated his garland with jewels and other precious ornaments. When it was presented to the goldsmith's daughter, she asked who had made such an extraordinary garland. The gardener replied that it had been made by a traveller staying at a particular serai.

The goldsmith's daughter then sent her greetings and a message that she would visit him at an appointed time. The vazirzada woke the prince accordingly, but when the appointed hour approached, the prince fell asleep.

As proof that she had come, the girl left a leaf upon his forehead. Afterwards, the vazirzada asked whether she had visited him, but the prince replied that she had not, although he had waited for her throughout the night.

The vazirzada, however, noticed the leaf and understood that it had been left as evidence of her visit. Through the gardener, the companions requested a second meeting, and another time was arranged.

She came as promised. The lamps were lit, and a stranger saw the prince and the woman together. He reported the matter to the governor, who had decreed death as the punishment for such an offence.

The governor ordered guards to arrest the offenders. When the vazirzada learned of this, he immediately went to the bazaar, bought some sweetmeats, disguised himself as a woman, and carried them to the serai.

At first, the guards refused to let him enter, but after much pleading and after he distributed sweetmeats among them, they allowed him to pass.

The goldsmith's daughter then exchanged clothes with the vazirzada and left carrying the empty sweetmeat dishes, while the vazirzada remained seated beside the prince.

At daybreak, a search was conducted, but no woman was found in the serai, and the informer was punished for giving false information.

A few days later, the vazirzada disguised the prince as a woman and took him to the goldsmith's house. He asked the goldsmith to lodge his "sister" - the disguised prince - until the return of the prince to whom she was supposedly betrothed.

The goldsmith at first refused, but his son persuaded him to allow the apparent young woman to stay with his daughter for five days. The daughter was delighted, as she recognised the prince.

She dug a pit, covered its mouth, and scattered a little dust over it. When her brother came to visit the guest, he fell into the pit, and she buried him by heaping earth over his body. She then allowed the prince to leave and told her father that her brother had eloped with the guest.

A search was made, and soon afterwards the vazirzada and the prince, now dressed in male attire, came to the goldsmith and demanded the return of the woman whom the prince claimed as his wife.

The goldsmith offered many excuses and pleas, but to no avail, and a formal complaint was brought against him. The parties appeared before the governor, who heard the case and ruled that the goldsmith must marry his daughter to the young man as compensation for the missing woman.

The goldsmith's protests were ignored, and his daughter was handed over to the travellers, who took her to their vessel. They sailed home, and upon their arrival, drums were beaten.