A gardener came to his garden in the winter. It was the month of Tebet,
and he found some roses in flower. He rejoiced at seeing them; and he
plucked them, and put them on a precious dish, carried them to the king,
and placed them before him. The king was surprised, and the flowers were
goodly in his sight; and he gave the gardener one hundred pieces of gold.
Then said the king in his heart, "To-day we will make merry, and have a
feast." All his servants and faithful ministers were invited to rejoice
over the joy of the roses. And he sent for his only daughter, then with
child; and she stretched forth her hand to take a rose, and a serpent
that lay in the dish leapt at her and startled her, and she died before
night.