The King of Brunei was very happy. His daughter, princess Zubeda, had come of age and now he wanted get her married to a prince or a nobleman. Zubeda was very beautiful. Various poets had composed poems in her honor. But, apart from being the prettiest woman in the Kingdom, Zubeda was also a very kind and humble person. When the King asked her about the kind of person she would like to get married to, she replied that it didn't matter to her whether her suitor was rich or poor, a prince or a potter, handsome or average looking, given that he is smart, intelligent, caring and affectionate.  The King found this really absurd and sent out his messengers far and wide to spread the news, strictly to royal families, that the King is looking for a groom for his daughter and will hold a contest to find the best suitor. Princes and noblemen came in hordes to try their luck at winning Zubeda's hand in marriage.
 
Abdullah, the barber was madly in love with the princess. He used to make sure that he caught a glimpse of the love of his life whenever the royal procession went by. Abdullah often went to the King's court to render his services and he took this opportunity to cast furtive glances at the lovely princess. Once when he was daydreaming about his life with Zubeda, the hand in which he was carrying a razor, slipped and took the King's moustache with it. The princess who was passing by looked at the king's face and burst out laughing. Abdullah didn't know what to do and gave a sheepish smile to the King, who was bemused by the princess's reaction. When he took the mirror and looked into it, he grew very serious, the princess stopped laughing and Abdullah began to worry about his fate. Abdullah, ashamed at his actions, was scared to even look at the King, when suddenly he heard a guffaw. He looked up to see the King and princess rolling with laughter.  Days passed and Abdullah's fondness for the princess grew by leaps and bounds every day, until all his dreams came crashing down with the King's announcement of getting Zubeda married, and that too to a rich prince.  
 
It was Zubeda who had come up with this ingenious idea of holding a contest, which would test a person's brains to find the right one for her, instead of the normal ones that just tested one's strengths and war skills. The task required the princess to stand in the middle of an enclosed room, with the participants standing in each corner atop a box. The participants were supposed to reach the princess without moving from their positions. They were not allowed to jump, run, crawl or hop to the princess, but somehow still reach her. No one other than people with a royal lineage was allowed to take part in the event. But, participants were only informed of the task right before they were supposed to do it, and were not allowed to talk about it either. The search for the right suitor went for almost 6 months, but no one was able to perform the task successfully. The King was miserable and began to grow really sick. Doctors advised him to eat regularly, which he was not doing. He was really desperate to get his daughter married, and each failed attempt made him unhappy. Finally, he made an announcement that anyone from any walk of life was eligible to take part, and not only that, he would be made the King as well.
 
Abdullah was waiting for this very opportunity and so were many others, including learned pundits and scholars, who thought the task was a piece of cake for them. Abdullah walked into the chamber and saw the princess standing there shyly. He was floored by her beauty and grace. Their eyes met and Abdullah felt an instant connection. Before the contest began, he threw a quick prayer and caught the princess doing the same and they both smiled at this. The announcer explained the rules of the contest to everyone.
 
He was competing with a Sanskrit scholar, a minister of the court, and a soldier. The moment everyone heard about the rules of the contest, they started scratching their heads for ideas. The scholar started reciting hymns asking for help from above, the minister looked here and there for clues and the soldier started making strategies in his head to pass the test. Abdullah on the other hand, was calm and composed. He was only focusing on what could be the possible ways to reach the princess. And, lo! A brilliant idea struck him. He knew he can't go to the princess, but the princess can surely come to him, and so that's what he did. He told Zubeda to walk up to him. Zubeda's happiness knew no bounds, she ran to Abdullah and gave him a tight hug and a small peck on his cheeks and saw Abdullah blushing. She smiled and took him to her father. The King not only gave him his daughter, but his post and lots of wealth. Abdullah and Zubeda got married in a grand ceremony, which was attended by almost everyone in the kingdom and others from neighboring towns. Under Abdullah's rule the kingdom of Brunei flourished and everyone lived peacefully. He and Zubeda lived happily ever after.