“Let her go!” cried all the neighbors, who had come out to watch the affair. “She is not worthy of a good home nor of a kind husband.” [[163]]
Now, farther down, there were fishermen upon the banks of the stream. As the drowning girl was swept along by the current, the nets caught her, and the fishermen, feeling something heavy in the nets, made haste to draw them in. Their surprise upon finding a girl, instead of a heavy draught of fishes, was very great. They hastened to work over her until she had come to life, when—because she was very beautiful—they began to quarrel as to whom she belonged.
Finally, as they were coming to blows, one of them said: “Let me throw this arrow; then let all of us run after it. Whichever finds it first shall have the prize.”
Accordingly, he threw the arrow, and all of them started off. While they were engaged in seeking it the girl caught the opportunity to run away. And as the one who threw the arrow was very strong of arm, they were so long in finding it that she had accomplished a goodly distance before they discovered their loss.
The poor girl ran and ran, until she met a Jew, who laid rough hands upon her and said: “Ai, my girl! as you seem to belong to no one, I am going to take you. You shall not be let to run wild in this manner. Henceforth you are mine.”
Then the despairing girl held up the two silver [[164]]candlesticks—which had been in her hands all the time—and while he was securing them in his pack, she ran again, until she came to a fountain, where she sat down exhausted.
While she was sitting thus, the son of the king of that country came by, and, seeing her, sat down and talked with her. Notwithstanding her weariness and all through which she had passed, her attractiveness was so great that, after he had been beside the fountain but a little while, he asked if she would accompany him to the palace and become his bride.
To this she made answer: “Most gladly will I do this that you ask, O, most noble prince! if you first will grant a request of mine.”
“It is granted already, my princess! Now tell it to me.”
“Since it is beside this fountain, and because of it, that I may have been found by you, may I ask that an agreeable place may be built here in which travelers may drink of the water and rest a little? And, since you seem pleased to look at me, will you have my portrait put into the bottom of the basin, so that all who lean over to drink in the fountain may see it?”