It is in the shape of a beautiful girl , but it is really an evil spirit . Last evening it came to visit me , and when I looked upon it its beauty faded into hideousness , its teeth became horrible fangs , its eyes glared like coals of fire , great claws sprang from its slender fingers , and were I not what I am it might have consumed me . ' The king could hardly speak from alarm , but at last he said : ` How am I to distinguish this awful thing when I see it ? ' ` Search , ' said the jogi , ` for a lovely girl with a lance wound in her leg , and when she is found secure her safely and come and tell me , and I will advise you what to do next . ' Away hurried the king , and soon set all his soldiers scouring the country for a girl with a lance wound in her left . For two days the search went on , and then it was somehow discovered that the only person with a lance wound in the leg was the princess herself . The king , greatly agitated , went off to tell the jogi , and to assure him that there must be some mistake . But of course the jogi was prepared for this , and had his answer ready . ` She is not really your daughter , who was stolen away at her birth , but an evil spirit that has taken her form , ' said he solemnly . ` You can do what you like , but if you do n't take my advice she will kill you all . ' And so solemn he appeared , and so unshaken in his confidence , that the king 's wisdom was blinded , and he declared that he would do whatever the jogi advised , and believe whatever he said . So the jogi directed him to send him secretly two carpenters ; and when they arrived he set them to make a great chest , so cunningly jointed and put together that neither air nor water could penetrate it . There and then the chest was made , and , when it was ready , the jogi bade the king to bring the princess by night ; and they two thrust the poor little maiden into the chest and fastened it down with long nails , and between them carried it to the river and pushed it out into the stream . As soon as the jogi got back from this deed he called two of his pupils , and pretended that it had been revealed to him that there should be found floating on the river a chest with something of great price within it ; and he bade them go and watch for it at such a place far down the stream , and when the chest came slowly along , bobbing and turning in the tide , they were to seize it and secretly and swiftly bring it to him , for he was now determined to put the princess to death himself . The pupils set off at once , wondering at the strangeness of their errand , and still more at the holiness of the jogi to whom such secrets were revealed . It happened that , as the next morning was dawning , the gallant young prince of Dilaram was hunting by the banks of the river , with a great following of wazirs , attendants , and huntsmen , and as he rode he saw floating on the river a large chest , which came slowly along , bobbing and turning in the tide . Raising himself in his saddle , he gave an order , and half a dozen men plunged into the water and drew the chest out on to the river bank , where every one crowded around to see what it could contain . The prince was certainly not the least curious among them ; but he was a cautious young man , and , as he prepared to open the chest himself , he bade all but a few stand back , and these few to draw their swords , so as to be prepared in case the chest should hold some evil beast , or djinn , or giant . When all were ready and expectant , the prince with his dagger forced open the lid and flung it back , and there lay , living and breathing , the most lovely maiden he had ever seen in his life . Although she was half stifled from her confinement in the chest , the princess speedily revived , and , when she was able to sit up , the prince began to question her as to who she was and how she came to be shut up in the chest and set afloat upon the water ; and she , blushing and trembling to find herself in the presence of so many strangers , told him that she was the princess of Rahmatabad , and that she had been put into the chest by her own father .
When he on his part told her that he was the prince of XXXXX , the astonishment of the young people was unbounded to find that they , who had been betrothed without ever having seen one another , should have actually met for the first time in such strange circumstances .
Dilaram dagger days djinn hideousness huntsmen jogi left night wazirs