a most
beautiful well built and roofed over. Then she locked the door of the
well, and told the servants no one was to drink any of its water, or
bathe in it, till her husband came home: he was to be the first to
drink its water, and bathe in the well.

Then she sent her ayah to the bazar to buy her clothes and ornaments
such as cowherd's wives and daughter's wear; and when the ayah had
brought her these, she packed them up in a box. Then she dressed
herself in men's clothes, so that no one could tell she was a woman,
and ordered a horse to be got ready for her. "I am going to eat the
air of another country for a little while," she said. "You must all
take great care of the house while I am away." The servants did not
like her going away at all; they were afraid her husband might return
during her absence, and that he would be angry with them for having
let her go. "Don't be afraid," she said. "There is nothing to be
frightened about. I shall come back all right."

So she set out, taking the key of the well, the box with the clothes
her ayah had bought for her in the bazar, and plenty of rupees. She
also took two of her servants. She travelled a long, long way, asking
everywhere for her husband's boat. At last at the end of a month she
came to where it was. Here she hired a little house, and dressed
herself like a cowherd's daughter. Then she got some very good milk,
and went down to the banks of the river to sell it. Everybody said,
"Do look what a beautiful woman that is selling milk!" She sold her
milk very quickly, it was so good. This she did for several days, till
her husband, the merchant, saw her. He thought her so beautiful, that
he asked her to bring him some milk to his boat. So every day for a
little while she sold him milk. One day he said to her, "Will you
marry me?" "How can I marry you?" she said. "You are a merchant, and I
am a cowherd's daughter. Soon you will be leaving this country, and
will travel to another in your boat; you will want me to go with you.
Then I shall have to leave my father and mother, and who will take
care of them?" "Let us be married," said the merchant. "I am going to
stay here for three months. When I go, you shall return to your father
and mother, and later I will come back to you." To this she agreed,
and they were married, and she went to live in the boat. At the end
of three months, the merchant said to her, "My business here is done,
and I must go to another country. Wou