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242
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(SEPTEMBER, 1885.
so."
afterwards consented, on condition that he man whom I love, and whom I wish to shonld be allowed to depart when and whither marry." he wished. The gardener readily complied, "Tell me," said the queen, “who he is, and making sure in his own mind that if the where he dwells, and I will inform the king stranger were once settled and comfortable in that a message may be sent for him." his own house, he would not care to leave it. "It is the young man," answered the
The marriage took place, and there was much princess," who resides with our chief gardener, money spent and great rejoicings. All things that wise and handsome man, who brought the went smoothly for a while and everybody flowers here the other day for the gardener." seemed as happy as could be, until one day | The queen was astounded at her daughter's the gardener could not go to the palace, request, and begged her to consider what she and so was obliged to ask his son-in-law to go was asking for. "A gardener's lackey!" instead of him and take the bouquets of flowers. said she. “With such would a princess fain He did so, but on returning the king's daugh- unite herself? The idea is preposterous. ter met him, and seeing that he was clever, Surely, my daughter must be mad!" gentle, and handsome, she at once fell in love “I am not mad, dear mother," answered the with him, and ordered one of her female atten- princess. "This man is not of mean birth, as dants to follow him and see where he lived. you suppose. He is of a noble type of counShe saw him enter the gardener's honse, and tenance and of educated manners, which came and told her mistress so. On the follow- bespeak high blood and gentle training. Send ing morning the princess sent to the gardener, and inquire, I pray thee, and see if this is not telling him on no account to let this young man go, but to give him food, and supply him with | The queen promised to do so. When the everything that he might require. The gar- king heard the reason of his daughter's indisdener was astonished at this strange order, and position, he, too, was very much astonished, went immediately to tell his wife and son-in- but thinking that there might be some truth law. “What is it that thou hast done?" he said in the princess's surmisings, he deferred speak. to the latter, "to provoke this request ? Hasting to her, until he had sent and ascertained thou seen the princess, spoken to her, or looked who and whence this young man was. upon her with eyes of love? Tell me the reason The gardener told the king's messengers all of this strange order." The prince acknow- that he knew about his son-in-law :ledged that he had seen the king's daughter,
" It was a beggar that I saw when returning from the palace; but that he
But now my handsome son-in-lawhad scarcely noticed her-much less spoken to her. Great was the suspense until the reason
A-gazing at the garden gate was known.
In wretched gaise and piteous state. Meanwhile the princess lost her appetite and "I thought at first he had been within became very pale and weak. When her mother The closely-guarded garden green, noticed that she was getting thin and sickly But finding every flower entire she begged her daughter to tell her if there I quickly stayed my ill-roused ire, was any pain or sorrow, and if so she should
"And tempted by his pleasant face tell her that it might be remedied. Or, per
I asked him-did he want a place ? haps, she wanted something; if so let her make
If so, then he could follow me these wants known, and the king would satisfy
And kind of under-gardener be. them. Anything and everything rather than she should pine away like this and die. "O
" And he consenting came to us mother, dear mother l" replied the princess, "it And stayed-as you may well supposeis not that I am in pain, or that any one has
For such a clever gardener he,-- grieved me; but God has guided hither the
Without his aid I could not be. Gardeners and their families oooupy prominent I found some nine or ton instances of this. cf. Indian place in European and Indian tales. While glang
Fairy Talor, p. 277, . 2. ing rapidly through the first half of Old Deccan Days
