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'"Very well,' the girl said, not yet particularly impressed.'Who are you?'
'"I am Prince Khasib, and when my father dies I shall be king over all this land.'
"Upon hearing this news, the water bearer's daughter fell to her knees in astonishment. And her father, coming into the room just then, dropped his water skins so that their precious contents spilled out upon the floor—a thing he had not done once in all his years.
"Their reactions both pleased and vexed Prince Khasib. Certainly it was wonderful to be so admired, but he had not wished to inspire fear. He wanted the water bearer's daughter to look upon him with favor, as he looked upon her.
"'Majesty,' the water bearer gasped. 'We are honored by your presence in our humble home. But this is too rough a place for one so fine as you. Let me send a messenger to the palace at once.'
"And so the prince agreed. But while the water bearer was out finding a boy to run to the palace, the prince plucked the jewel from his little finger and gave it to the water bearer's daughter with these words:
'"If ever you have need of me, bring this and come to the palace.'
"Sire, I will,' the girl replied, though in her heart she could not imagine when such a time might arise.
She was certain she would never see the handsome prince again.
"Now, I probably do not need to tell you (but I will do so anyway, for the story demands it) that things we ca
"But before she could give way to it completely, she remembered the ring the prince had given her and his words at their parting. So she dressed herself in her finest garments and set out for the palace.
"Now, the distance from the home of a water bearer and his daughter to a princes palace is a great one.
So great, that by the time the water bearer's daughter had traveled it, her finest garments were covered with dust, and the hours allotted for audiences were nearly over. The palace guards took one look at her and turned her away.
'"Come back tomorrow.'
'"But I must see Prince Khasib as soon as possible,' the water bearer's daughter cried. 'See! I have his token. If ever I have need of him, he commanded I should bring this to the palace.' And with these words, she produced the ring and held it out.
"At this, the palace guards began to take her more seriously. Not because they believed a word she said, but because they felt sure the ring must have been stolen. They were just on the verge of hauling the water bearer's daughter off to prison too when, to the surprise of all, a court lady who happened to be passing by intervened.
"'Fools!' she exclaimed angrily. 'Can you not see that this girl speaks the truth.'1 Do you not recognize the Prince's mark?
"And upon close examination, her claim proved to be true. For on the inside of the band, so cu
"At this, the guards began to be afraid that they would be the ones thrown into prison, and so they let the water bearer's daughter enter the palace at once. The court lady went so far as to escort her to the audience chamber, the water bearer's daughter expressing her appreciation for the lady's kindness the entire way.
“ ‘Think nothing of it,' the court lady said with a wave of her perfumed hand. 'But remember well this good deed that I have done you. Perhaps you may do one for me someday.'
"If ever it is within my power to do you good, I will,’ the water bearer's daughter promised. And with that, they reached the audience chamber. Here again the court lady exerted herself on the water bearer's daughter's behalf.
"Here is one who begs an audience with Prince Khasib,’ she cried in a loud voice. 'She comes bearing his token. Let her be heard.' With that, she moved forward, bringing the water bearer's daughter with her.
And so they came to Prince Khasib.
"Glad as he was to see the water bearer’s daughter once again, seeing the two women together was not so pleasing to Prince Khasib. For the token he had given to one had been a gift to him from the other. In truth, the ring he had bestowed upon the water bearer's daughter had not truly been his to give: It had been a gift to him from the fine court lady who wished to win his favor. In short, the situation had all the makings of a fine muddle.
"Nor was this all, for beneath his handsome countenance and gallant ma
"But the water bearer's daughter knew nothing of this. And so she cast herself to the ground before Prince Khasib and said, 'Hear me, O great and shining Prince! I come as you have said I might, bearing your token, to beg for your help in my hour of greatest need.'
"The first of the matters that had weighed 0n Prince Khasib's mind was thus easily dispatched For, even streaked with dust and in despair, the water bearer's daughter was just as lovely as he had at first perceived.
'"What would you have me do? he asked, pleased to have her acknowledge her need of him so quickly
'Rise and tell me.'
"So the water bearer's daughter rose to her feet and said, 'My father has been imprisoned for a cause I ca
"Now, this was not precisely what Prince Khasib wished to hear. If she could not live without someone, it should be him. 'Yet surely he must die someday,' he countered.
"As God shall will it,' the water bearer's daughter acknowledged. 'But I greatly fear that what has befallen him is, instead, the will of man.'
'"If I might be so bold, Highness,' the court lady spoke up suddenly. ‘I may be able to suggest a way to determine whether the imprisonment of this maid's father be just or no.'
"At this, Prince Khasib perceived that he was growing more unhappy by the minute, for this interruption was not at all to his liking. It was hardly possible the court lady would have the best interests of the water bearer's daughter at heart. She was more likely to wish some mischief upon her. But Prince Khasib had no choice but to listen to what she had to say, for she had caught the attention of his courtiers.
"'Speak,' he commanded.
'"I would propose a test,' the court lady said. A trial of some sort. Command this maid to do a thing that all others before her have failed to accomplish. If she succeeds, you will know her cause is just.'
"At her words, a murmuring of appreciation filled the audience chamber, a counterbalance to the dread filling Prince Khasib's heart.
'"What might such a task be? he inquired.
"'Gracious!' the court lady exclaimed with a becoming blush. 'How should I know? Yet I have heard...'