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The Handkerchief
The Handkerchief
Zakia was a beautiful and clever girl. She lived with her father. She was
so clever that her father always asked her advice. But once he did not ask
her advice, and Zakia was very angry! This was when the king asked the
girl's father to let him marry her. Zakia's father did not tell his daughter
about that and said to the king: "Oh, my King, my daughter will be very
glad to marry you!"
But Zakia was not glad. "No, Father," she said, "no, no! I will not marry
and love a man whom I do not know."
"Oh, my dear daughter," said her father. "If you do not marry him, he may
be very angry! But her is very good and clever. Oh, please, do as I say!"
At last Zakia said: "All right, I will marry him. But the King must learn a
trade. I will marry him only if he does so. One day he may lose his throne,
and what shall we do then? We shall be poor, we shall die of hunger. Go
to the King and tell him my wish."
Zakia's father went to the king and told him his daughter's wish. And the
king smiled and said: "Your daughter is not only beautiful, but very clever
too. I will be glad to do as she asks. I am sure that we shall be happy
together."
So the king began to learn the trade of a weaver. Soon he could weave a
beautiful handkerchief, and he sent it to Zakia as a present.
"If she likes my present, she will marry me, I am sure," he thought.
Zakia liked the handkerchief and said: "Now, I see that he loves me."
In a month they married and began to live happily. Zakia often helped the
king with her clever advice.
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