“Ssaran accepted his wife’s counsel, and, stowing the jewel away in a safe place in the folds of his robe, betook himself to the shady tree in the garden of the Princess. Here he found the Princess awaiting him, and they spent the day happily together.
“Towards evening, just as Ssaran was about to take leave of the Princess, they suddenly found themselves surrounded by a hundred armed men, whom the captain that the King had set over the garden had sent to take them both prisoners. Into a dark dungeon they were accordingly thrown to await the King’s decree saying by what manner of means they should be put to death.
“Naran Gerel, who had been used to see every one obey her and bow before her, desired the men to let her go home to her father; but the captain said, ‘How many men have suffered maiming and death for nothing but because they have ventured near the precincts of thine apartment! Now therefore it is thy turn that thou be put to death also. So will there be an end of this peril to the King’s subjects.’
“When Naran Gerel found she could prevail nothing with the captain, she turned to Ssaran and entreated him that he should devise some way of escape; but, sunk in fear and apprehension of the King’s terrible anger, he could not collect his ideas.
“‘How comes it,’ then inquired the Princess, ‘that if thou hast so little presence of mind as thou now displayest, thou wert able to distinguish and unravel, and find courage to follow, the tokens that I gave thee with my hands as I drove along the way?’
“‘That,’ said he, ‘I discovered by the sharp wit of my wife, who also gave me courage to obey thy call.’
“‘And did she furnish thee with knowledge and courage, and yet send thee forth with no sort of talisman?’ said Naran Gerel.
“‘She gave me nothing but this jewel,’ replied the minister; ‘and of what use can that be?’
“The Princess, however, took the jewel, and, throwing it out of window, cried to the guard, ‘Ye men who are set to guard us, give ear. To persons sentenced to death is a jewel of no further use; take it one of you to whom it is permitted to live, only let whichever of you takes it in possession do us this service, that he go to the house of the minister Ssaran, and knock three times at the door.’
“One of the guard therefore took the jewel, and went and knocked three times at the door of the minister Ssaran. But the wife of the minister, knowing by this token that her husband was thrown into prison together with Naran Gerel, the King’s daughter, made haste and attired herself in her finest apparel, and filled a basket with all manner of juice-giving fruits. With these she came to the gate of the prison where her husband was held bound, and spoke thus to the captain of the guard,—