Picturesque Udaipur

[first lines]

Narrator:
We are in India. From one of the sumptuous palaces of His Highness, the Maharana of Udaipur, we gaze upon a picturesque lake, about which an interesting story is told. According to a popular legend, one of the reigning maharanas of Udaipur was in love with a beautiful dancing girl, who was also proficient in the art of tightrope walking. By way of diversion, he promised the young lady half of his kingdom, if she succeeded in walking over this lake on a rope that was suspended above the water. Naturally, she accepted the offer. And when it was apparent that she was about to succeed, one of the maharana's ministers, who was not in sympathy with the idea, cut the rope, and consequently the girl fell into the water and was drowned. A stony grave in the bottom of the lake now commemorates her memory. And it is said that at night, when the moon is full, her ghost is seen upon a rope, running back and forth across the lake.

[last lines]

Narrator:
The main palace of His Highness, the Maharana is a grand tribute to the artistic taste of a people who have preserved their traditions for thousands of years and continue to live in a world of their own, quite apart from the influence of Western civilization, where life at its best is a trying experience compared to the peace and tranquility that we find here. And it is with this thought that we say "Farewell" to picturesque Udaipur.