Princess of the Saffron City

Returning from a hunt in the countryside, a young prince and the son of the Wazir (the prime minister) gave chase to a fox as far as the city. The Prince aimed an arrow at the game but it missed the target and instead hit and injured a nobleman's wife. The King, when he came to know of it, was full of wrath and banished both the Prince and the Wazir's son.

The friends broke the first day's journey in a mountain hamlet. They were lodged in the tower of an apparently hospitable man. At about midnight, they detected that their room was bolted from outside. Growing suspicious, the Wazir's son improvised a rope-ladder and they climbed out of the window. In the backyard they saw a pit rotting with corpses of men. So they made haste to escape the clutches of the savage robbers who lived in the tower.

The next halt of the two travellers was the green bank of a lake. Feeling thirsty, the Prince went down the steps of the ghat to drink water. There, on the opposite bank, he saw a most comely maid.. Tantalisingly, she showed him a saffron flower and then disappeared. The Prince fell madly in love with her. But what could he do, now that she was no more to be seen? The Vazir's resourceful son gave him the clue that the saffron flower, waved by the maid, indicated that she was the Princess of the Saffron City.

That romantic city, resplendent with saffron fields in full blossom, was near at hand. Thither the two friends went and took abode with an old widow. She had access to the palace and through her the Wazir's son had the Princess informed of their arrival. Her reply came directly when the widow returned to her home in a magic swing.

The Prince and the Wazir's son used the magic device to meet the Princess during the dark fortnight. She secretly made love to the Prince and wanted him to live with her permanently. The following night, the Wazir's son got ready three fast steeds and they ran away from the city with the Princess

Reaching the borders of their own country, the Vazir's son sent word to the King and his own father, the Wazir, telling them all about their adventures and the Princess. But the King would not have them back unless the Princess was married to the Prince with the consent of her father. So the Wazir's son despatched express messengers on horseback to the father of the Princess. That King's anxiety about the disappearance of his daughter was changed to great joy when he heard that she would be married to the Prince of a large kingdom. He readily gave his assent and invited the Prince and the Wazir's son to return to his kingdom with the Princess.

The Prince was married to the Princess with great pomp and show. The Wazir of the Saffron City gave his fair daughter to the Wazir's son with whom she was wed. The Prince and the Wazir's son returned with a large retinue, richly loaded with presents. The Wazir's
son took good care to destroy the tower of robbers and to have the gang executed. The King and the Wazir gave a warm welcome to their sons.

On his father's death, the Prince ascended the throne. Aided by the Wazir's son, now his Wazir, he ruled justly for many years. His prosperous, large kingdom, included the Saffron City, for the Princess was the only daughter of her father and he, having no other issue, bequeathed his kingdom to his son-in-law, the happy, wise monarch.