The Goldsmith's Clever Wife

In a busy city lived a goldsmith whose work was admired throughout the royal court. His wife delivered his finest ornaments to the palace and knew both the craft and its customers well.

One day the princess asked the goldsmith to bring a new ring himself. During their meeting, she challenged him to solve a riddle told entirely through signs. She showed him a mirror, poured a little water, held up flowers, and placed a strand of wool beside them.

The goldsmith returned home completely puzzled.

His wife listened carefully. “The mirror means you must look beyond the first thing you see,” she explained. “Water means follow the channel into the garden. The flowers name the meeting place. The strand means wait until the palace lamps are lit and the spinners have finished their work.”

The goldsmith followed her interpretation and reached the garden, where the princess presented one final puzzle. But he had spent so long worrying that he fell asleep before she arrived.

The next day, his wife smiled. “A riddle needs attention, not only excitement.” She advised him to rest before returning.

On the second evening the goldsmith stayed awake. He and the princess solved the final puzzle together—but a suspicious constable found them in the private garden and arrested them without listening to their explanation.

When the goldsmith's wife heard, she carried bread to the prison and asked to speak with everyone involved. She discovered the exact signs the princess had used and persuaded the king to examine the ring, the mirror, and the other objects.

The princess told the truth: she had arranged a contest of cleverness, not a secret wrongdoing. The goldsmith admitted that entering the garden without permission had been foolish. His wife explained how each sign fitted the riddle.

The king released them and corrected the constable for deciding before investigating. The princess promised that future contests would be held openly in court.

The goldsmith returned to his workshop with a new respect for his wife's calm intelligence. From then on, whenever a difficult pattern confused him, he asked her to look at it before he rushed to an answer.