A Gift for a Princess

The King of Prabhatpur was worried. He had fondly hoped that by now, his only daughter, Princess Priya, would be married. There certainly was no shortage of suitors, for the princess was extremely beautiful, and whoever married the princess would one day become the ruler of the kingdom, with all its power and riches.

There were three princes who were forever visiting the palace, hoping to win the hand of the princess. Each of the princes was perfectly eligible; they were handsome, and each was descended from great rulers of Indian kingdoms. But it was of no use; the princess just couldn’t make up her mind as to which of the three princes she would like to marry.

Then the king had an idea to solve this vexing problem. So, sending for the princess, he said to her, “Months roll by, and still you cannot decide which of the three princes you will wed. So I suggest that I set the princes a task to perform, and the one who does best shall have your hand in marriage.”

“That sounds wonderful,” agreed the princess happily.

So the following day, the three princes were invited to dine at the palace, and after they had feasted, the king leaned back in his chair, eyeing the three princes approvingly.

“Each of you wishes to marry my daughter,” he said, smilingly. “Now, what I propose is, the one who brings within thirty days the most acceptable gift for the princess shall have her hand.”

“An excellent idea,” exclaimed the three princes almost in unison. Each was eager to leave the palace and search for a gift that would win the princess’s heart.

The days rolled by, and towards the end of the thirty days, one of the princes rode up to the palace, bringing with him a casket containing the most fabulous precious stones.

Almost immediately after, the second prince arrived. He presented a gift of rare weapons, intricately inlaid with gold and gems.

“Now we must wait for the third prince,” said the king, eyeing the gifts with a frown.

Right at the end of the thirty days, the third prince galloped through the palace gates. When he was shown into the king’s presence, everyone was shocked to see that his clothing was dusty and torn, and he carried no gift for the princess.

“Your Majesty,” said the prince, addressing the king, “I bring no gifts. I have come to beg your forgiveness, for other events proved to be more pressing, and I have been unable to fulfill the task you set.”

The king looked at the prince with a smile in his eyes. “Pray, tell us of these other events that proved so pressing?” he asked.

“It’s not a long story, sire,” replied the prince promptly. “Two days’ ride from your kingdom, I encountered a band of men, women, and children in great distress. Robbers had raided their village, looted everything of value, and set fire to the village.”

“The villagers were terrified,” continued the prince. “But I banded the men together and raised more from neighboring villages. Then, with my motley army, I invaded the robbers’ territory and defeated them soundly. It took time, and so I no longer consider myself a suitor for your daughter. I merely beg your forgiveness.”

“Nonsense!” exclaimed the king. “Your valor in helping those in distress is the greatest gift you could bestow upon the princess.”

At a sign from her father, the princess smiled demurely, took a garland of roses, and placed it around the prince’s neck.