Long ago there was a handsome prince and a young princess, both of whom lived in the same town.
The father of the princess and the father of the prince arranged that the handsome prince and the young princess should be married. There was feasting, dancing, and drumming after the marriage ceremony. After the wedding, the handsome prince bought a strong white horse which he called Kili.
The prince was very fond of his white horse, and he would say to him, “Kili, Kili. You are better than a wife.”
Now the young princess heard her handsome prince saying to his horse, “Kili, Kili. You are better than a wife.” She became very angry. She became very jealous.
“I hate your horse Kili,” the young princess said to her husband. “If you wish me to obey you in everything, you must kill your white horse.”
“Never,” said the handsome prince. “I shall never kill Kili.”
It happened that another handsome prince in another town heard the story. He also had a strong white horse, and this horse was also called Kili. The rival prince put on his finest clothes, his shining black turban, and his large, hand-worked gown. Mounting his white horse, he rode to the town of the other handsome prince.
He soon reached his compound, but found that the prince was away. From the compound he went into a courtyard, and from there into the house of the young princess. But he left his own white horse outside, and instead led in the other prince’s white horse.
The young princess and the newly arrived handsome prince greeted each other. Then said the handsome prince, “I have heard that you and your prince are quarrelling. Perhaps you will marry me instead of him.”
“I will not marry you,” she answered, “because you have a white horse called Kili and you will prefer him to me.”
“My white horse is nothing to me compared with you,” said the prince. So saying, he drew his sword from its silver scabbard and killed the other handsome prince’s white horse.
“You see,” he cried. “I have proved that I prefer you to my horse.”
The prince then left the compound and returned to his town, taking with him his own white horse which he had left waiting outside.
When the prince, who had been away, came back to his young princess and to his compound, he found that his white horse Kili had been killed. He was naturally very angry, and questioned the servants in the compound. He questioned the young princess, and asked if she had caused Kili to be slain.
“I did not kill your horse,” she replied, “but because you cared more for your horse than for me, I shall follow another prince.”
The young princess had her belongings packed, and off she went, following the road along which the other prince had gone.
Thus the handsome prince had lost both his white horse and his young princess.