Then the king started running after him with his sword that now he will not speak at all and
will catch Betal at any cost and take him to the saint.
Delicate Princess
When King Vikramaditya took down the body of Betal from the tree and started going back,
Betal started telling a new story. The king of heaven had four wives. All four of them were
beautiful as well as known for their softness and tenderness, but it was di cult to say which
was the most delicate princess among them.
The rst princess was so delicate that even the rays of the moon could not touch her body. If
moonlight fell on her, blisters would appear. The second princess was so delicate that even
the weight of a ower petal would parch her skin. One day the king gave her a ower, and
when it fell on her, she became parched
The third princess was so delicate that she would faint at the slightest noise. Once, far away
from the palace, someone was pounding something with a pestle. The faint sound gave her
a headache, and she fainted. People were very cautious while going near her, never
speaking loudly. They would only whisper in her presence.
The fourth princess was also extremely sensitive. She would fall sick as soon as she touched
anything. Kissing her was out of the question. Overall, the king had to be very careful in his
palace.
The maids serving the princesses were strictly trained to take special care of them. Any
mistakes made by the maids were severely punished. Despite the tenderness of the
princesses, many princes sought their hand in marriage. The king, however, was worried
about how his daughters would manage after marriage, especially the second and fourth
daughters.
The king employed many maids for the care of the princesses, but one maid stood out. She
was exceptionally kind, often helping the poor and giving food to beggars. Though she had
little money, she had a big heart and diligently took care of the palace. She worked tirelessly,
often completing tasks others refused to do.
One day, a princess gifted her a piece of jewelry in appreciation of her hard work. The next
time the maid went to the market, she encountered a beggar who lamented that he could
not a ord to marry o his daughter. The maid was moved by his plight and gave him all her
jewelry, including the one gifted by the princess
When the maid returned to the palace, the princess inquired about the jewelry. Upon
learning that the maid had given it away, the princess became angry and expelled her from
the palace, accusing her of disrespecting the gift.
Meanwhile, the king sought a cure for his daughters’ delicacy. He announced a reward for
anyone who could treat them. A famous doctor from a neighboring country came to the
palace. After hearing about the princesses’ condition, he laughed, much to the king’s dismay.
“Why are you laughing? Can’t you treat my daughters?” the king asked.
The doctor replied, “No, I cannot. I have studied the medicines of the entire world and
learned about every herb found in the forests. But no herb can treat your daughters’
delicacy—it is not an illness but their nature.”
With this, the doctor left, and no other doctors came forward.
After telling this story, Betal asked, “Tell me, king, which of those four princesses was the
most delicate? And why did the doctor refuse to treat them? If you don’t tell me, I will break
your head into pieces.”
The king replied, “Betal, you will be surprised to know that none of those four princesses
were truly delicate.”
Betal was taken aback. “What do you mean?” he asked
The king continued, “The maid was the most delicate. Her immense compassion and
sel essness made her the most tender-hearted of all. While the princesses’ delicacy was
physical, the maid’s tenderness came from her heart, which is far more signi cant.
“As for the doctor, he refused to treat them because a person’s nature cannot be changed.
No medicine or herb can cure what is inherent in their character.”
Betal wanted to y away as usual, but King Vikramaditya held him tightly.
Betal said, “King Vikramaditya, you are very clever. I will not y this time, but you will have to
answer after hearing the next part of my story. I dislike leaving tales incomplete, so let me
tell you about the re.