Atondido Stories
"Perhaps you cannot recognise me," said the young prince,
"but call the youngest princess here. I wish to speak to her." The
servants called her, and she came. "That man is not my hus-
band," she said at once. "My husband is not nearly as handsome
as that man. This must be a prince from another country."
Then she said to him, "Who are you? Why do you say you
are my husband?"
"Because I am your husband. I am telling you the truth," an-
swered the young prince.
"No you are not, you are not telling me the truth," said the
little princess. "My husband is not a handsome man like you. I
married a very poor, common-looking man."
"That is true," he answered, "but nevertheless I am your hus-
band. I was the grain merchant's servant; and one hot night I
went into your father's garden and sang, and you heard me, and
came and asked me who I was and where I came from, and I
would not answer you. And the same thing happened the next
night, and the next, and on the fourth I told you I was a very
poor man, and had come from my country to seek service in
yours, and that I was the grain merchant's servant. Then you
told your father you wished to marry, but must choose your
own husband; and when all the Kings and Rajas were seated in
your father's garden, you sat on an elephant and went round
and looked at them all; and then twice hung your gold necklace
round my neck, and chose me. See, here is your necklace, and
here are the ring and the handkerchief you gave me on our wed-
ding day."
Then she believed him, and was very glad that her husband
was such a beautiful young prince. "What a strange man you
are!" she said to him. "Till now you have been poor, and ugly,
and common-looking. Now you are beautiful and look like a
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