The Hidden Prince

Ardeshir died of illness, and the crown and throne sat empty. Homay came and set the crown on her head, and established a new way and custom. She granted every soldier an audience, opened the treasury and handed out gold. In wisdom and justice she surpassed her father, and the world flourished under her fair rule. The first thing she did when she wore the crown was to promise the world justice and generosity. She said: may this crown and this throne be blessed, and may the hearts of our enemies be torn out. May all our deeds be good, and may no one see us cause suffering or grief. We will make rich whoever is poor, whoever labors his own body out of need. As for the great ones of the world who hold treasure, we will not trouble them over such kindnesses. When the time of her giving birth drew near, she kept it secret from the city and the army. The royal throne pleased her, and ruling the world seemed worth keeping. She bore a son in secret and told no one, keeping that good fortune concealed. She brought in a nurse of noble bearing, a woman pure, modest, and of good standing. In secret she gave her the child, that fruitful royal branch. To anyone who mentioned her son, she would say that the pure-born child had died. She kept the royal crown on her head, remaining victorious and happy on the throne. Wherever an enemy chieftain rose, she sent an army against him on every side. Of anything that happened across the world, no good or evil stayed hidden from her. She wanted nothing in the world but justice and goodness, and she kept the whole realm upright. A whole world grew safe under her justice, and nothing was spoken of in the land but her name. So it went until eight months had passed, and the boy came to resemble the dead king. She ordered a clever-minded carpenter to find a plank fit for fine work. They made a small chest from dry wood and coated it over with pitch and musk. The inside was lined soft with Roman brocade, the outside smeared with musk and wax. They laid a bed for sleeping at the bottom, and filled its middle with lustrous pearls. They poured in much red gold, mixed with agate and peridot. They tied many royal jewels to the arm of that nursing child. When the child had fallen deep into sleep, the gentle-handed nurse went off in tears. She placed him ever so softly in the chest and wrapped him warmly in Chinese silk. They sealed the narrow lid tight and dry with glue, amber, pitch, and musk. At midnight they carried the chest away, and no one breathed a word to another. They hurried it out from Homay's presence and cast it into the waters of the Euphrates. Two men went running behind it to see what the water would do with the infant. As the wood drifted like a boat on the water, the watchmen followed it in haste. When dawn lifted its head above the mountains, the chest was still turning along the river. At a laundry-place where there were stones, the mouth of the stream had been narrowed into a workspot. A launderer saw that small chest, ran over, and pulled it up from the workspot. When he opened it and lifted the coverings, the launderer was struck with amazement. He wrapped the child in cloth and came running, full of hope, joyful, and bright of spirit. At once the watchman ran to the mother and told her what he had seen of the chest and the launderer. The victorious ruler said to the watchman: whatever you saw must be kept hidden.