The Safe Girl

Once upon a time there was an old woman who had a son named Sarkis. He wanted to get married but he had no money. He goes abroad to work and earn money for housing and to be able to get married. He leaves his mother at home.

One day when he was going to the market, he saw a man who was carrying a chest on his shoulder and who was shouting:

 " Chest for sale, a chest! whoever buys it won't regret it, neither will the seller! " 

Sarkis buys the chest, he sends it to his mother, with a note: " Keep this chest, when I get married it will be my wedding basket. "  The old woman receives the chest, puts it in a corner, then goes to church.

On his return, what a surprise! the house is swept, the stove is lit, the meal is cooking, the table is set, the appetizers served. She is amazed.

 My God, she said, who did all these things? " 

This miracle is repeated several times. So the old woman hides behind a door. She sees the trunk open, a wonderful girl come out, sweep the room, light the stove, prepare the meal, bring the bread, set the table, lay out the dishes, then return to the trunk and get ready to fold the lid. Immediately, the mother rushes up, grabs her by the arm and says to her:

 " Who are you, my daughter? "  "Don't ask questions, granny, said the girl, your son sent me here, we're both going to live together, when your son comes back, we'll see what happens." " 

They live together for a while. One day the girl said:

– Grandma, you're tired of living in the smoke and soot of this hovel. Go to town and order stone and wood, and everything needed to build a house. Call a carpenter and a mason, hire some workers, have us build a nice house for when your son comes back. I pay, you oversee the work!

Shortly after, the old woman had a pretty mansion built in the city, the like of which was nowhere else. Not far from there lived an extremely wealthy gentleman.

 My God, said the gentleman, how could this poor old woman have such a mansion built, where could her son have sent her so much money? " 

One day, he walks into the old woman's house and what does he see? A marvelous young girl, to lose food and drink. He falls in love with this beauty. He sends messengers to ask for her hand. The girl refuses. The gentleman bullies the old woman, he forces her to write a letter to her son: Son, what a misfortune this girl from the coffer is, she's a wanton, she sees men every day. I don't care how pretty she is. I would prefer her to be one-eyed but honest. ! " 

When the son receives this letter, he rushes to his mother, he arrives at dawn, he enters the girl's room, he beats her like plaster, he takes her away and throws her into a torrent.

He gets in. A doubt grips him:

 My God, I threw this girl in the water without even questioning her, I'm going to see what has become of her, is she dead or alive? " 

He goes back there, he doesn't see a girl or anything. With a burning heart, he goes from town to town; no news from the girl.

After Sarkis had thrown the girl into the torrent, a passing doctor had heard groans, he had seen the girl injured, unable to get up; he had been taken with pity, he had taken her home, he had taken care of her, he had cured her. One day the doctor said:

•  “Young lady, I healed you. Won't you marry me? " 
•  If I don't marry the one who healed me, who would I marry? Come on, rent a phaeton, let's get into it, take a walk in the city and then go home; I will be yours and you will be mine. " 

The doctor and the girl get into the phaeton, they go around the city. The girl says:

 “I want cake. Go get some, we'll eat it together. " 

Time to get the cake, the girl had disappeared. The doctor looks for her everywhere, he finds her nowhere. Heartbroken, he goes from city to city, country to country, no news of the girl.

She had escaped. She takes a small path, follows an alley, meets a very elegant rider. As soon as he sees her, he is crazy about it, he dismounts, grabs the girl and says:

 "Won't you take me as your husband? " 

•  " Why not ? she says. Where could I find a better man than you? " 
•  “Well, if you are a Christian, I will send for a priest; if you are Turkish, I call on a mullah to unite us. " 

The girl says:

 Neither priest nor mullah, our custom is as follows: we exchange our clothes, I sit down, you circle around me seven times, then you sit down, I circle around you seven times, our dowry will be shared, I will be yours and you will be mine. " 

They exchange their clothes, the girl sits down, the rider turns around her; then the rider sits down, the girl turns around him… suddenly, what a girl, she rushes like a mosquito on the horse, and hoots! she flees into the forest. Heartbroken, the horseman goes in search of her, from city to city, from country to country, but no one gives her any news.

The girl leads her horse to the city of the king, she goes down to an old woman, she had no offspring, she becomes his child. They live together for a while. The king of this city dies. It was customary to launch an augural pigeon, the man on whose head it rested became king. The pigeon is released, it lands on the roof of the old woman, the men enter, they see an elegant young man sitting in the house; as soon as they take him out, the pigeon lands on his head, they take him away and consecrate him king.

The first thing the new king did was to build a monumental fountain with seven taps, and his portrait suspended from the vault. A guard is in charge of surveillance, with orders to arrest and imprison anyone who, upon seeing the portrait, heaves a deep sigh: ah!

One day comes Sarkis, the old woman's son. Another day the doctor, and another the horseman, then another day the gentleman. Everyone, while drinking the water, heaves a great sigh:ah!

All are thrown in prison. The king calls his viziers, the notables, he convenes the Council.

He summons the old woman's son and the doctor to tell them what happened to them.

The horseman advances:

 Long live the king, he said, I met a young girl in the forest, not a girl but a sylph, a creature of fire. At the sight of her, I lost my head, I dismounted, I greeted her, she greeted me. I told him : Girl won't you marry me?, she said : But if, why not?. She cheated on me, she put on my clothes and made me put on hers, I circled around her seven times, she was also supposed to circle around me, but suddenly she flew away on my horse, like a mosquito, she disappeared from my sight.

I was sorry to have lost her, and ten times more sorrow to have lost my horse and to be transformed into a woman, me who is a man, who wears a beard and mustache, me, to wear a dress ! Since that day, my heart has been burning, and when I saw the portrait of this girl at the fountain, I heaved a deep sigh:ah! " 

The gentleman comes and says:

 Next to my house, in the house of an old lady, I saw a girl who caught my eye, but no matter how much I tried, despite the display of all my wealth, she didn't want me, there was nothing to do. So, out of spite, I made the old woman write a letter to her son telling him that the girl was a wanton. The son came, beat her and threw her into the torrent. Since that day, the fire of the girl burns my heart, that's why when I saw her portrait I sighed:ah! “.

The king said:

 “Viziers and all of you, did you hear? " 

 " Long live the king ! we have heard ! " 

 » Call the executioner. " 

The executioner enters:

 Take this gentleman away, said the king, cut off his head and show it to the people. " 

Then enters the doctor, who tells his story:

 "Doctor," said the king, "tell me the total of all your expenses for this girl, I'll double that sum and send you back to your business." " 

The king then said to the horseman:

 “Tell me the price of your clothes and your horse, I'll double the total and send you back to your business. " 

The king turns to the viziers and to the assembly:

 "Gentlemen," he said, "wouldn't it be fair if we brought this girl over and listened to what she has to say to us?" " 

 Long live the king, that would be right! " 

The king stands up and says: Well, that girl is me! " 

She uncovers her chest: See! am i a boy or a girl? " 

The assembly is stunned. The king calls Sarkis and says:

 " Your mother cheated on you. You came without making an inquiry, without questioning anyone, you beat me, you threw me half dead in the torrent, then you felt remorse, but what's the point, which is done is done. Now listen to my advice:

Don't do anything until you're sure what you're being told is true. " 

She turns to the viziers and says:

 Sarkis is my husband and I am his wife. If you want Sarkis to be your king, I will stay in your town. If you don't want to, we'll go home."

Everyone stands up and shouts:

 " Sarkis our king and you our queen, govern our country! " 

Three apples fell from the sky...