A goldsmith and his wife lived a happy life in perfect harmony and
love. In all the country they were considered the best patterns
of conjugal love. It was their custom not to put out the light in
their house but let it burn all the night. One night as the King
and Queen were looking from their high window at the sleeping city,
they noticed the goldsmith's light gleaming at a distance, and his
well-known matrimonial love became the subject of debate between the
royal couple. The King insisted that it was on account of the husband's
virtue that he and his wife were in such perfect harmony. The Queen
insisted that it was on account of the wife's virtue. Thereupon they
decided to make a trial and find out the truth. On the following day
the Queen sent one of her handmaids to the goldsmith, saying that she
had fallen in love with him and would become his wife if he killed
his present wife.
"Not I," answered the goldsmith; "I will not part from my wife for
all the world. I am content with what Heaven has assigned me. I will
not exchange my wife for a thousand Queens."
On the following day the King sent a servant to the goldsmith's wife,
saying that he had been charmed with her beauty and wanted to make
her queen, if she would kill her present husband.
"Is it really true? Is it really true?" exclaimed the woman.
"It is true," answered the servant.
"Well, then," said the woman, "I will kill my husband this very
night. When you see our light has gone out to-night, know that I have
begun to murder him."
The servant brought word to the King, who ordered his men to be
ready and go to the rescue of the goldsmith if the light was really
put out. In the evening the goldsmith came home. After supper the
husband and wife had a nice talk as usual, and the husband, putting
his head in the lap of his wife, fell asleep. The woman put the loop
of a rope around his neck, blew out the candle, and began to pull the
rope. The poor goldsmith was strangled before the King's men came
to the rescue. This murder of one of his best subjects grieved the
King so deeply that he thereafter hated all women from the depths of
his soul. He could not sleep that night, and early in the morning he
called his prime minister, saying:
"To-day I will go hunting. You must put to death all the women of
the country, old and young, before I come home this evening."
The prime minister had an aged father, to whom he went and repeated
the King's terrible order.
"Do not obey it," said the old man; "I shall be responsible. Go and
hide yourself for a couple of days from the anger of the King."
In the evening the King came back from hunting, and seeing the women
of the realm still alive, was enraged, and called his prime minister
into his presence. The old man appeared before the King, standing on
his crutches.
"Where is your son?" said the King. "I want to cut off his head first,
then those of the women."
"Long live the King!" said the old man with his trembling
voice. "Permit me to tell you an experience of mine, and then put
your command into execution if you choose."
"Speak!" said the King, who at the same time gave orders to the
soldiers to be ready to butcher the women.
"I was prime minister during your father's reign," said the old
man. "One day we had gone to hunt. I was led astray by the game,
and came near a village on the other side of the forest. Soon I was
overtaken by an unknown horseman, who took hold of me, and lifting
me from the back of my horse, placed me before him upon the saddle
of his own horse, bound me with a rope, and tied the reins of my
horse to the back of his own. To struggle on my part was useless,
because he was very strong. Soon we arrived at a cemetery, where we
dismounted. For a while he looked here and there, and stopping at a
certain place, began to dig, and ordered me to shovel the earth after
him. Thus working we dug two graves. We mounted again and dismounted at
the foot of a castle wall. He bound me carefully to the saddle of his
horse, and himself climbed up the wall. After a few minutes he threw
down from the top of the wall the headless corpse of a man who had
just been murdered. He came down, and placing the corpse on my horse
took it and myself to the graves we had dug. I was horror stricken,
and thought that one of the graves must be for the corpse and the
other for me. But to my surprise, he untied me and bade me assist
him to bury the corpse, which I did. He then turned to me and said:
"'I know who you are; you are the prime minister of this state. Now
listen to me, and go and tell the King my story. I am a woman and
had a boundless love for my husband. This vile Prince, whose body we
have just now buried, having fallen in love with me, killed my own
husband that he might win my love. But I vowed by the sacred love I
bore my husband to kill the murderer and bury him under my husband's
feet. Now that is accomplished. I vowed next to kill myself, that I
might be buried by the side of my husband. For the love of Heaven,
bury me in this grave and tell my story to the King.' This she said,
and stabbing herself with a dagger, fell dead at my feet. I buried
her in that grave near her husband. Here you have the example of a
faithful and brave wife. If the unfaithful wife of the goldsmith gave
you occasion to order the death of all the women of the realm, let
this woman be the means of saving her sex from general slaughter. Why
shall many good women die because of the wickedness of one woman?"
Thereupon the King revoked the order and only the goldsmith's wife
was put to death.