This caused the heart of the girl in the walnut box to tremble. However, she remained quiet, and soon found that wisdom had impelled her silence; for the young man returned very shortly, with a fine piece of meat, which he had gone to the butcher’s to buy. Laying it down upon a table, he said:
“If Allah approve, I will cook this to-morrow.” Then he took up his water skins and went out for the day.
The maiden no longer feared discovery. She arose, swept the house, as upon other days, cooked the meat, carefully covered and laid it away; then, seeing many pieces of soiled clothing about, she said: “It is better to wash clothes than to be killed at the caprice of a princess,” and began busying herself in that way when, most unexpectedly, the master of the house entered!
At sight of him the poor girl covered her face and cried: “Alas! alas!”
But the water-man recognized her and was filled with joy. He asked how her condition had become so changed; and, after hearing her story, went nearer to her and said:
“Ai, my princess! You are mine; but I, also, am yours. Let us be married!” [[162]]
The young woman gave her consent, a few of the neighbors were summoned hastily, and, with due ceremony, they were married and lived very happily until, both of them fearing discovery, the husband loaded forty donkeys with merchandise, placed his wife upon another, and sent her to the home of his mother, with whom the young woman lived for some time.
However, it is a true saying that the beauty which causes envy in the hearts of others seldom brings happiness to its possessor. Some of the women of the place became jealous of the newcomer and wrote a letter to the husband, telling him that his wife had forgotten him and was in love with another.
This so incensed the young husband that he sent word that he was coming home, bought a dagger, and set out to kill his wife. As he approached the house he saw her coming to meet him, with silver candlesticks in her hands.
But when she saw that his face was dark and threatening, and that he was drawing a dagger from his belt, she ran to the bank of a stream which flowed in front of the house, sprang into it, and was carried away toward the sea.