The Princess and the Beggar
The King of Kalinga had one daughter, Princess Sunanda, of whom he was immensely proud. She was a devastating beauty and highly educated, but when it came to the matter of marriage, she was impossible. The King, eager for his daughter to marry a prince of noble standing, had no shortage of suitors. Yet, the Princess spurned them all.
In his frustration, the King sent envoys far and wide, returning with portraits of the most eligible princes. But when Princess Sunanda saw the portraits, she criticized each one. In the end, the King threw up his hands in despair, wondering why he had been cursed with such an obstinate daughter.
As a last resort, the King decided to hold a grand reception, inviting the greatest princes of the land. Each one was outstanding in looks and blessed with great wealth. The Princess was charming to them all, and it seemed she might favor Prince Rajendra, the tall and handsome heir to the vast Khandesh kingdom.
However, after the reception, when all the princes had departed, the Princess turned to the King and, with a look of disdain, declared, “I do not care for any of them.”
The King was furious. “I have had enough of this nonsense,” he shouted. “I will marry you to the first beggar who comes to the palace.” The Princess laughed at such an absurdity.
The very next day, a disreputable beggar appeared at the palace gates, asking for alms. His dirty clothing and unkempt beard made him repulsive to behold, but following the King’s orders, he was escorted straight to the audience chamber.
When the King saw the beggar, he shouted, “Come here, you vagabond. You will marry my daughter, and I hope you will make her a worthy husband.”
The Princess was horrified. “I will not marry that wretched creature!” she exclaimed.
But the King was resolute, and so, much to her shock, Princess Sunanda was married to the beggar, who, much to her dismay, seemed highly amused by the look of disgust on her face.
Immediately after the ceremony, the beggar grabbed the Princess by the hand and almost dragged her away from the palace. “Come along,” he chided, “we have a long way to go.”
The journey seemed endless. They walked through forests and across rough terrain. The Princess’s feet, unaccustomed to walking, ached terribly, and she was on the verge of collapse when the beggar, with a disarming smile, said, “Cheer up, we are nearly home.”
“But where are we?” she managed to ask.
“This land belongs to Prince Rajendra,” he replied. “But I have a small hut in yonder valley where we shall be quite comfortable.”
The hut turned out to be a dilapidated shack, with only one room, shared with countless spiders and crawling insects.
As the Princess stood there, fighting back tears of despair, the beggar slapped her on the back. “Now go and gather some wood, and cook whatever food we have here.”
“But I don’t know how to cook,” she cried.
“Then it’s time you learned,” he replied, flopping down onto the floor and promptly falling asleep.
Though the meal she cooked was a sorry mess, after several days, she became somewhat accustomed to her new life. Occasionally, she even managed to prepare something edible without burning it.
At night, she would lie awake, lamenting the cruelty of her fate. Yet, despite everything, she couldn’t help but notice that her husband had a kind smile, and there were times when she even found his company somewhat comforting.
The beggar tried to teach her how to weave baskets from bamboo, but her fingers became badly blistered, and her attempts at weaving only earned him a few chuckles.
Then he showed her how to sew, but that, too, ended in failure. Exasperated, her husband sighed. “You are not good at anything,” he said. “But there are some pots at the back of the hut. Take them to the bazaar and see if you can get a good price for them.”
Reluctantly, the Princess tied the pots together and made her way to the bazaar. But no sooner had she laid the pots down than a man on horseback came galloping through, scattering and breaking them all.
When she returned to the hut, her husband simply smiled. “Perhaps I should get you a job in the city,” he said. “I know Prince Rajendra’s head cook. He can find work for you in the kitchens.”
Ignoring her protests, the beggar took the Princess to the royal palace, where she soon found herself busy scrubbing large greasy pots in the kitchen.
As she worked, she couldn’t help but reflect on how she had once refused the opportunity to marry Prince Rajendra. If only her husband were not so poor, she thought, she would be quite happy.
Suddenly, she felt someone standing behind her. Turning around, she was startled to see the smiling face of Prince Rajendra. Before she could speak, he took her hand and said, “Do not continue this cowardly life. I am your beggar husband, and not the wicked man who broke your pots in the bazaar. It was all part of a plan by your father to teach you a lesson.”
“I was such an arrogant fool,” the Princess whispered. “But somehow, I have come to love my beggar husband.”
