In a certain country a King had an only daughter, it is said. The Princess was a possessor of an extremely beautiful figure. The King taught her the sciences to the extent to which she was able to learn. This Princess having arrived at maturity, the King ordained that a Prince who having heaped up masuran [amounting] to five tusk elephants’ loads, should show [and give] him them, may marry her.
After that, although from several countries Princes came to marry her because this Princess’s figure is beautiful, having been unable to procure masuran [amounting] to five tusk elephants’ loads their minds became disheartened, and they went away.
At last, out of the seven sons of a certain Emperor-King, one person said to his father the King, “Father,[1] should you not give me masuran [equal] to five tusk elephants’ loads, undoubtedly, cutting my throat (lit., neck) myself, I shall die.”
The King asked, “What is that for?”
“In such and such a country there is a very beautiful daughter of the King. To marry her, first it is necessary to give masuran [equal] to five tusk elephants’ loads.”
Thereupon the Emperor-King having loaded the masuran into a number of carts, handed them over to the Prince. Well then, this Prince, taking the masuran also, approached near the Princess’s father, the King. Having weighed his masuran, when he looked [into the account] still a few were short. Because of it having sold even the tusk elephant which the Prince brought, and having righted the five tusk elephants’ loads, after he showed them to the King, the father of the Princess, he gave the Princess in marriage to this Prince.
Because of this Prince’s act, the Princes who having come first to marry the Princess and having been unable went away, became angry, and formed the design to steal the Princess for themselves.
After the Prince lived in happiness for a little time at the palace of the King, the father of the Princess, he asked the King, the Princess’s father, for permission to go to his own country with the Princess. When he had asked permission even many a time because the father of the Princess was very unwilling, by very strong effort he set off to go, together with the Princess.
When going thus, the Princess’s father gave her ten masuran. As these two persons, taking the ten masuran, were going journeying they fell into a great forest wilderness. Leaving behind the forest wilderness, when they arrived at another country, because [only] two masuran remained over for them, getting a living became very difficult.
Thereupon the Princess said to the Prince, “I know the means to earn our living, therefore be not afraid. For [the value of] the remaining two masuran bring threads of such and such colours,” she said.