Section 1
A King had seven wives, but they were childless, which caused him great sorrow, as he knew that there would be no heir to take over the kingdom after him. One day, a poor old religious devotee, also known as a fakir, approached the King and said, "Your prayers have been heard, and your wish shall come true. Each of your seven queens shall give birth to a son." The King was overjoyed upon hearing this promise, and he ordered for celebrations to be prepared throughout the kingdom in anticipation of the upcoming births.The seven Queens were living in a magnificent palace, surrounded by many female slaves who catered to their every need and fed them delicious sweets and treats. The King, who loved hunting, received a message from the Queens before setting out on a hunting trip. The message read, "Our dearest lord, we implore you not to hunt towards the north today as we had bad dreams and fear that harm may come to you."
The King, in order to ease the worry of his seven Queens, agreed to their request to not hunt in the north. He headed south to hunt, but had no success in finding any game. He also had no luck to the east or west, but was determined to bring home a catch. He eventually forgot about his promise and went north where he initially found no animals. However, just as he was about to give up, a white deer with gold horns and silver hooves ran past him and disappeared into the forest. Although he barely saw it, the King felt a strong desire to capture and possess the beautiful creature.
The King, eager to capture the beautiful white hind with golden horns and silver hoofs, ordered his attendants to surround the thicket where it had disappeared into. He gradually closed in on the animal until he could see it panting in the middle of the circle. Just as he was about to catch it, the hind made a powerful leap over the King's head and ran towards the mountains. The King, driven by his desire to possess the creature, spurred his horse and chased after it, leaving his retinue behind. He never lost sight of the white hind and kept galloping until he found himself in a narrow ravine with no way out. Only then did he finally stop his horse.
The King, exhausted from his long pursuit of the white hind, came across a dilapidated hut and decided to seek refuge there and ask for a drink of water. Inside the hut, he found an old woman spinning yarn on a wheel. She called out to her daughter to fetch water for the King. As soon as the daughter appeared from a room, the King was captivated by her beauty. She had golden hair and fair skin, and her appearance was in stark contrast to the miserable surroundings of the hut.
As the King drank the water, he couldn't help but look deeply into the girl's eyes. Suddenly, it dawned on him that the girl was the same white hind with golden horns and silver hooves that he had been chasing. Her beauty enchanted him, and he fell to his knees, begging her to come with him as his wife. The girl laughed at his proposal, pointing out that he already had seven wives to manage. But despite her initial refusal, the King persisted, promising to give her anything she desired. Finally, the girl responded, "If you truly mean what you say, then give me the eyes of your seven wives, and maybe then I will believe you."
The King was so enamored with the enchanting beauty of the white hind that he immediately went back to his palace, had the eyes of his seven Queens removed, and threw them into a dark and hopeless dungeon where they couldn't escape. Then, he set off once more to the hovel in the ravine with his horrid offering. But when the white hind saw the fourteen eyes, she only laughed cruelly. She then made a necklace out of the eyes, and placed it around her mother's neck saying, "Wear this as a keepsake, little mother, while I am away in the King's palace."
After the white hind's request was fulfilled, she returned with the King as his wife, and he gave her all the possessions of his seven Queens, including their luxurious clothing, jewelry, palace, and slaves. She had everything that even a witch could want.
