Once outside the Palace, the young Princess smiled at the guards, who, on seeing such a beautiful girl immediately opened the huge gates so that they might talk with her.

Each one asked to be given one of the lovely unfading roses and when they went back to the Palace showed off their prized gifts. The Princess found lodgings nearby and waited.

Upon hearing of the wonderful roses, the plain Princess's mother immediately insisted that they all be given to her, and gave two to her daughter, telling her to offer them to her husband. He took them but refused to believe they came from such swarthy cheeks.

The King, his father, was mortally wounded in a battle, and so the Prince took his place as the rightful heir.


Meanwhile, the beautiful Princess became friendly with the woman who ran the rooms where she lodged, and who also happened to be married to one of the palace guards. The couple's children were saddened because their much-loved pet mule was sick and looked likely to die.

Taking pity on the poor children, the Princess lead the mule around the lodgings grounds and let him feed on the healthy plants and flowers that grew whereever she trod. Soon the mule grew sleek and strong, and was once again the healthy animal the children adored.

The guard (her husband) boasted cheerfully about the maginficent creature his family now owned and soon his bragging reached the ears of the newly crowned King, who demanded to be taken to the place where such a miracle had happened.

'My Lady,' he said to the guard's wife, 'how did you manage to restore this lame beast to such good health?'
The woman told him about the beautiful girl lodging with her family.
'It is my intended and no other!' cried the King.
'lead me to her'

On seeing his lost love walking in the grounds, he hastened to her and took her hand. 'My Princess ~ I had given up all hope of ever seeing you again.' His heart bursting with happiness, he lead the girl away to his Palace, where he gave her the talisman that he had confiscated from his imposter wife.

With the guards standing watch, he sent for the two evil women.

'Let it be known throughout every land that these women are banished from here forever and that should either attempt to return, will incur the death penalty' he proclaimed. ' Let is also be known that this lovely lady is to be my lawful wife and so my Queen.'

Celebrations were hastily arranged, and for forty days and forty nights, the wedding parties were enjoyed by all the people and the King and his Queen lived happily ever after.

The End.