No. 48
The Seven Princesses
In a certain country there are a King and a Queen, it is said; there are seven Princesses [the daughters] of the King. A Prince younger than those seven is born.
The King went to a war, and having gone there the King was defeated in the war. When he returned, the royal food was not made ready for the King. Having arrived, he asked the Queen, “Why did you not prepare the royal food for me?”
Then the Queen said, “I cannot bring up your children, and prepare the royal food for you also.”
The King asked, “Why? What have the Princesses done?”
The Queen replied, “They go to the river, and after bathing there come back and rub oil on their heads, and comb their hair, [instead of assisting me to prepare the food].”
On account of that the King settled to behead the seven royal Princesses next day.
The Queen having cooked a bundle of rice and given it to those seven said, “Go to any place you like, or the King will behead you to-morrow.”
After that, they went off to the river, and after sitting there and eating the bundle of rice, the seven went away.