And the baby’s mother came forward and said: “Please let me be nurse.” So the baby had its own mother after all to care for it.
Now the great man from Akbar’s Court was so kind that the woman told him all her story, and he asked to see her husband and her sons, and sent them all to the Emperor himself for protection. So it came to pass that the man from Persia got work and honour at the Emperor’s Court.
And the baby born by the roadside grew very beautiful, and was called Mihr-un-Nisa, which means “the Sun of Womankind”. She lived near the Palace, and would go with the women into the Palace gardens, whenever the great Fairs took place, where the zenana women sold their lovely work and embroideries.
And at one of these Fairs, Prince Salim, the Emperor’s son, lost his way in an empty part of the garden, where he could see no one but a small girl at play. He had in his hands his two favourite doves, and, wanting to fly kites with the boys at the fair, he told the little girl, who was our “Sun of Womankind”, to hold the doves till he should return. “Take care,” he said; “don’t let them fly.”
When he came back Mihr-un-Nisa had only one dove in her hands.
“Where is the other?” said Prince Salim.
“I let it fly,” said Mihr-un-Nisa.
And, “How did you do that, stupid-one?” said the Prince angrily.
“Just so, my Prince,” said Mihr-un-Nisa, opening her other hand, from which the second dove also flew happily away.
She looked so beautiful in her naughtiness that the Prince fell in love with her that minute. And many years afterwards, when he became Emperor, he married her, and changed her name to Nŭr Mahal, “the Light of the Palace”. And again, for she seemed more beautiful still to him every day, he changed it to Nŭr Jehan, “the Light of the World”.