A princess had been sitting in the window of their palace since morning, refusing to eat anything. When nothing worked, the king was told about the princess.
“O my sweetheart, what makes you so sad? Is there anything I can do for you, my lovely princess? Your sadness is spreading its wings to my heart,” asked the king.
For a moment, the princess chose not to speak to her father.
When the king got up to leave her room, the princess shouted: “Look, father,” pointing towards the lawn outside, “those peacocks you got me are dancing.”
She got the king to walk down the courtyard with her.
“Father, do you really want to know why I am sad?” asked the princess.
“Yes.”
“I am confined to our palace when my desire is to see the forest outside our walls. If you permit me to go, I will not be sad anymore.”
The king consented to the princess’ demand, and permitted her to visit the forest.
“But not without escort,” said the king.
The princess jumped out of excitement.
Before the king could utter another word, the princess was gone.
Riding in her chariot, the princess saw mighty elephants swaying their tusks and beating the grass. She felt they were smiling at her.
She saw a bunch of hopping rabbits, which stopped to look at her. She saw reindeers, whose antlers were elegant.
She didn’t chase any of them only not to frighten them.
Then, she came across a wild dog feeding her three little puppies.
As the princess ordered the chariot to stop, the dog sensed danger to her puppies.
The dog barked at the princess and then lunged forward to scare away the princess. Her two guards came forward to protect the princess, but the dog slipped and fell into the pit between her and the princess.
The dog was in pain.
The princess pushed the guards aside and jumped into the pit to help the poor animal. She helped the dog come out of the pit and return to her puppies.
The day was drawing to a close.
The princess decided to return to the palace.
But on their way back, a pack of wolves surrounded the princess’ chariot.
The princess got terrified.
Suddenly, she heard a dog howling. When she looked right, in the direction of the sound, she saw the dog she had helped, howling along with her puppies.
Hearing their howl, all wild dogs came running.
The dogs outnumbered the wolves, who thought it wise to escape, leaving the princess and her guards unharmed.
The caravan returned to the palace to narrate the story to the king and the queen.
