A king with seven queens is distressed by their inability to bear him an heir. A fakir promises that one of the queens will give birth to a son. The king, eager for this news, prepares celebrations. However, while hunting, he disregards the queens' warning to avoid the north and becomes enchanted by a magical white hind. In his obsession, he captures the hind's beauty, which turns out to be a girl, and in exchange for her love, he sacrifices the eyes of his seven queens. The queens, now blind and imprisoned, give birth to a son, who grows up to care for them. He escapes their dungeon to gather food and eventually learns of his royal lineage. One day, he encounters the white hind, who, filled with jealousy, plots against him. She tricks him into giving her a pigeon he shot, promising to return the queens' eyes. The boy, unaware of her deceit, complies and receives a message that leads him to the old hag, the hind's mother, who gives him the eyes but with a warning. As he matures, he continues to help his mothers while also attracting the attention of a princess who desires to marry the son of seven queens. The boy refuses to marry her until he can restore his mothers' sight. The princess, clever and resourceful, helps him navigate the hind's traps, substituting dangerous messages with ones that ensure his safety. The boy embarks on quests to retrieve magical items for the hind, each time narrowly escaping death due to the hind's treachery. With the help of the princess, he acquires a magical cow and rice that ripens overnight, which enriches his mothers. Eventually, he is tricked into looking back while harvesting the rice, leading to his demise. However, the old hag resurrects him, and he returns to his mothers, who become wealthy. The princess orchestrates a plan to reveal the truth about the boy's identity to the king. She constructs a palace identical to the one where the hind resides, inviting the king to a feast. Upon entering, the king is astonished to find his former queens alive and well. The princess reveals the hind's treachery, leading to the hind's punishment and the restoration of the queens to their rightful place. The story concludes with the king, the queens, the boy, and the princess living happily ever after.
By Joseph Jacobs · First published 1896 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Adventure