One night, four servants of a king were on guard duty.
The first watch was held by a carpenter. The carpenter thought to himself, “The night is very long, let me do something to pass the time.” So he started carving a piece of wood and made a woman out of it. He made the wood into a very beautiful shape.
Then his watch was over. The next watch was for a tailor. The tailor saw the figure of the woman, which was already made, and said to himself, “Now I will make some clothes and dress her up.” So he sewed the clothes and dressed her.
When the tailor’s watch ended, the next watch was for a goldsmith. The goldsmith made jewelry and put it on her.
The next watch was for a holy man. The holy man prayed to God to give her breath, and she began to breathe.
Then day broke, and these four men began to argue, each claiming the woman for himself. They went to the king to have their case decided and said, “Whose is the woman?”
The king said:
“She is not the holy man’s, who says prayers. For anyone who is sick gets a holy man to pray for him. If the holy man gets this woman, they will claim the possession of anyone who gets better when they pray. The carpenter and the goldsmith were only doing their jobs and have no rights. But the tailor, who dressed her, has won the woman, for it is the bridegroom who gives clothes to the bride. I give him the woman.”
