The woman, delighting in evil, removed the other eye, and, afterward, gave all the water desired by the sufferer. It was swallowed eagerly; but, alas! although her thirst was assuaged, she had been made blind!
Now, all this happened while the slaves and the [[75]]guard were in another part of the ship, and only the wicked nurse and her daughter were near to her who was to become bride to the young prince.
As the ship neared land, the nurse removed the bridal clothing from her charge and put it upon her own daughter, whose face she covered with a veil. The clothes of her own girl were then put upon the maiden and her face was covered, as before.
Upon landing, the nurse said to the others: “Do you remain here for a little, while I conduct my daughter to the house of a relative, where she will stay until my return.”
She then led the maiden without the city and left her alone, upon a mountain. After that, she wrote a letter to the parents of the maiden and gave it to the master of the port, with the command that he should find, upon the next incoming ship, the persons to whom it was addressed and deliver it to them. The letter read as follows:
“Do not continue your journey. Your daughter died upon the way to this port. She was buried in the deep sea. As for me, my grief is so great that I shall never return.”
Having done this, she hastened to rejoin those whom she had left; and the little company proceeded upon its journey to the palace. The nurse’s daughter guarded the secret well, so that no one dreamed [[76]]of the sad thing that had happened. With all speed they pressed upon their way, and were soon met by the people of the palace, who conducted the woman and her daughter into the presence of the queen.
Now, the lady queen, after greeting the girl—who was brought to her in most splendid attire—regarded her attentively and said to herself: “This is not the one who so charmed me in the quiet garden. There is something wrong. Let us see unto what the end will bring us.”
With this seeming discovery she sat down to meditate; while the girl, who desired to become a princess, was led to her own room, and everyone about the palace made haste with preparations for the wedding.
That evening they married the nurse’s daughter to the prince. And all of the guests drank a royal drink from cups that were brilliant with gems. Afterward, the prince said to her who had become his bride, “I wonder greatly that, with all these festivities, not once have you smiled.”