The Jealous Queens

The Rivalry of Queens

A certain king had two wives—Malini and Manjari. Both were beautiful and virtuous, but unfortunately, the two never liked each other. Hardly a day passed without Malini complaining about Manjari or vice versa. Their quarrels became the king’s greatest worry.

The Clever Counselor

The king had a clever counselor named Naresh. One day, he told him, “My dear friend, I will be happy if you devote all your time and wisdom to keeping peace between the two queens. You won’t have to bother about other problems.”

Naresh, who was jolly and witty by nature, soon proved to be a great success in his new assignment. He always kept the queens in good humor, allowing the king to breathe in peace.

A Painter’s Visit

One day, an accomplished painter visited the palace. He was famous for drawing the portraits of women from the aristocracy. Both queens invited him to draw their portraits, and the painter dedicated half the day to each, completing both portraits by the end of the day, and departed with handsome rewards.

The Portrait Dilemma

The queens then presented their portraits to the king. He first looked at Manjari’s portrait but quietly set it aside. When he glanced at Malini’s portrait, he exclaimed, “How beautiful!”

At that moment, Manjari’s face paled. “The painter executed Malini’s picture first. By the time he came to my apartment, he must have grown tired. No wonder my picture hasn’t turned out well! But does this mean you must insult me?” she cried, tears streaming down her face. The king tried to pacify her, but she would hear no explanation and hurried away to her apartment, almost wailing.

A Plan for Peace

The king immediately summoned Naresh. Upon his arrival, the king sighed and said, “Naresh! You alone can save the situation.” Then he narrated what had happened.

“Don’t worry, my lord! I am confident I can change the queen’s mood,” Naresh assured him.

“Please do your best,” the king pleaded with his counselor.

Winning Back Joy

Naresh soon appeared before Manjari, carrying her portrait. After a polite greeting, he said, “You left your portrait elsewhere. Please keep it carefully.”

“Throw it away! I have no use for it. Who asked you to bring it to me? You don’t know how much humiliation I faced because of this portrait! Your king thinks I am not beautiful!” blurted out Queen Manjari.

The Unexpected Twist

Naresh acted as if he was quite surprised. He then said, “I don’t understand you, to be frank. When I met the king moments ago, he was full of praise for your beauty!”

“That can’t be! He just set aside my portrait and praised Malini’s. This happened only an hour ago!” insisted the queen. Naresh then laughed heartily and explained, “Well, in that case, the one who should feel sad is Queen Malini, not you! The king did not appreciate your portrait because you are so beautiful that the artist failed to capture your essence on canvas. Conversely, Queen Malini’s portrait looks more beautiful than she does! How can anyone who has seen you personally ever be satisfied with your portrait?”

Restored Harmony

Queen Manjari’s eyes sparkled with joy. She immediately took out a precious necklace and offered it to Naresh, saying, “You have spoken the truth. Please accept this gift.”

“Pardon me, O Queen! Let me not take the necklace home, for I too have two wives, each more jealous than the other. Thank you, nonetheless,” Naresh replied as he turned to leave.

However, the queen promptly produced another necklace and said, “Then have two!”

Naresh bowed to the queen and left, delighted to have the pair of necklaces. He went straight to the king, who still sat pensive. “Rejoice, my lord,” said Naresh, “Queen Manjari is happy; and I am even happier!”

“How?” asked the king. Naresh narrated how he achieved his goal. In response, the king rewarded him with a third gold chain—for himself.