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Once upon a time there came to the ancient city of Rahmatabad a
jogi[FN#1: A Hindu holy man.] of holy appearance, who took up
his abode under a tree outside the city, where he would sit for
days at a time fasting from food and drink, motionless except for
the fingers that turned restlessly his string of beads. The fame
of such holiness as this soon spread, and daily the citizens
would flock to see him, eager to get his blessing, to watch his
devotions, or to hear his teaching, if he were in the mood to
speak. Very soon the rajah himself heard of the jogi, and began
regularly to visit him to seek his counsel and to ask his prayers
that a son might be vouchsafed to him. Days passed by, and at
last the rajah became so possessed with the thought of the holy
man that he determined if possible to get him all to himself. So
he built in the neighbourhood a little shrine, with a room or two
added to it, and a small courtyard closely walled up; and, when
all was ready, besought the jogi to occupy it, and to receive no
other visitors except himself and his queen and such pupils as
the jogi might choose, who would hand down his teaching. To this
the jogi consented; and thus he lived for some time upon the
king's bounty, whilst the fame of his godliness grew day by day.
Now, although the rajah of Rahmatabad had no son, he possessed a
daughter, who as she grew up became the most beautiful creature
that eye ever rested upon. Her father had long before betrothed
her to the son of the neighbouring rajah of Dilaram, but as yet
she had not been married to him, and lived the quiet life proper
to a maiden of her beauty and position. The princess had of
course heard of the holy man and of his miracles and his fasting,
and she was filled with curiosity to see and to speak to him; but
this was difficult, since she was not allowed to go out except
into the palace grounds, and then was always closely guarded.
However, at length she found an opportunity, and made her way one
evening alone to the hermit's shrine.
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Fairytales 
