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 Dilaram , 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 .
In fact , the prince was so moved by her beauty and modest ways that he called up his wazirs and demanded XXXXX be married at once to this lovely lady who had so completely won his heart .
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