perks
sarcasduck ruffleslut
- Joined
- May 20, 2001
- Posts
- 40,901
There is a story my mom told me when I was a child of a princess who needed to wed in order to save her kingdom. Her family's fortune had been stolen and the legend was that it was hidden somewhere in the castle, but no one had ever found it.
Because she was not in love, her father held a contest for all the princes in the land to compete in three events to win her hand in marriage.
The men came from far and wide to compete, but there was one man who wasn't a prince, but a tailor's son. However, he was in love with the princess and wanted her for his very own.
He entered the events much to the consternation of the king.
The first event was culinary in nature. The princes were to bring the best dish in the world to the princess and whichever dish she chose, the corresponding prince would win the event.
The day came when the dishes were to be presented. The princes had outdone themselves, bringing gourmet dish after dish, foie gras, caviar, anything with saffron. The princess was about to be ill. And then the tailor's son entered the great hall carrying a small dish and a spoon. He knelt before her and lifted the lid to the earthenware pot and inside were wild strawberries and a spot of freshly whipped cream.
The princess sighed with delight and declared the tailor's son the winner with a mouthful of strawberries. The King was nonplussed, but had faith that the tailor's son would never win the next two events.
When the next event was declared, the tailor's son was joyful. For he was a tailor and the contest was to be a piece of clothing that would compliment the princess. He knew none of the princes could best him in this event.
He labored over the garment before him, and finally minutes before the presentation it was finished. He and his father had hunted last winter for their dinner and happened upon perfectly pure white hares. And he had used their skins to make a wrap for the princess.
He arrived just in time, to see the princess hidden behind mountains of gold thread and brocade, he bounded toward the throne and bowed simply then presented her with his gift.
She sighed in wonder at the perfect pelts, wondering where this man had found them. Not knowing that he was a poor lowly tailor's son, but she began to love him for his simplicity. The King was getting very angry, but knew that there was one event left.
And so the next event was declared. The princes must bring the best gift in the world. There was no category and they all scrambled to find the most expensive things they could find. The tailor went home forlorn and discouraged, knowing he could not afford anything of import.
The day came when the presents were due, and he made himself go to the palace. He had to see whom she would pick. There were jewels and chests of money, deeds to land and prize horses, everything you could possibly imagine.
And finally, overwhelmed, the princess looked up and saw the tailor's son, and beckoned him forward. "Please, what have you brought me" she begged.
The tailor's son came forward and with a trembling voice murmured, "I have nought to give you but my heart."
And with that, the princess flew into his arms and turned her beaming face to her father, the joy in her voice.
"ohhhh father, he is the one I love. He has won all three events!"
The King exploded, "He IS A TAAAAAAILOR'S SON!!! I forbid it"
and with that, he had the guards arrest the man and threw him into the dungeon.
The princess did not forget the tailor's son, she tried in vain, to get to him, to see him, to declare her love. She mourned every day she was not able to touch him, to know him. Finally she bribed one of the guards and found him in the deepest darkest dungeon. He reached through the tiny slit in the door, trying to grasp her fingers, to touch her just once. He whispered to her that he had been scratching the days he had been without her into the walls. That's when one of the bricks moved, and he found the treasure. The King's lost fortune.
The princess rejoiced, and flew to her father, telling him the news. He embraced his daughter, set the tailor's son free and welcomed him into his family.
And they all lived happily ever after.
So, long story short, what presents are ya gonna gimmee?
Because she was not in love, her father held a contest for all the princes in the land to compete in three events to win her hand in marriage.
The men came from far and wide to compete, but there was one man who wasn't a prince, but a tailor's son. However, he was in love with the princess and wanted her for his very own.
He entered the events much to the consternation of the king.
The first event was culinary in nature. The princes were to bring the best dish in the world to the princess and whichever dish she chose, the corresponding prince would win the event.
The day came when the dishes were to be presented. The princes had outdone themselves, bringing gourmet dish after dish, foie gras, caviar, anything with saffron. The princess was about to be ill. And then the tailor's son entered the great hall carrying a small dish and a spoon. He knelt before her and lifted the lid to the earthenware pot and inside were wild strawberries and a spot of freshly whipped cream.
The princess sighed with delight and declared the tailor's son the winner with a mouthful of strawberries. The King was nonplussed, but had faith that the tailor's son would never win the next two events.
When the next event was declared, the tailor's son was joyful. For he was a tailor and the contest was to be a piece of clothing that would compliment the princess. He knew none of the princes could best him in this event.
He labored over the garment before him, and finally minutes before the presentation it was finished. He and his father had hunted last winter for their dinner and happened upon perfectly pure white hares. And he had used their skins to make a wrap for the princess.
He arrived just in time, to see the princess hidden behind mountains of gold thread and brocade, he bounded toward the throne and bowed simply then presented her with his gift.
She sighed in wonder at the perfect pelts, wondering where this man had found them. Not knowing that he was a poor lowly tailor's son, but she began to love him for his simplicity. The King was getting very angry, but knew that there was one event left.
And so the next event was declared. The princes must bring the best gift in the world. There was no category and they all scrambled to find the most expensive things they could find. The tailor went home forlorn and discouraged, knowing he could not afford anything of import.
The day came when the presents were due, and he made himself go to the palace. He had to see whom she would pick. There were jewels and chests of money, deeds to land and prize horses, everything you could possibly imagine.
And finally, overwhelmed, the princess looked up and saw the tailor's son, and beckoned him forward. "Please, what have you brought me" she begged.
The tailor's son came forward and with a trembling voice murmured, "I have nought to give you but my heart."
And with that, the princess flew into his arms and turned her beaming face to her father, the joy in her voice.
"ohhhh father, he is the one I love. He has won all three events!"
The King exploded, "He IS A TAAAAAAILOR'S SON!!! I forbid it"
and with that, he had the guards arrest the man and threw him into the dungeon.
The princess did not forget the tailor's son, she tried in vain, to get to him, to see him, to declare her love. She mourned every day she was not able to touch him, to know him. Finally she bribed one of the guards and found him in the deepest darkest dungeon. He reached through the tiny slit in the door, trying to grasp her fingers, to touch her just once. He whispered to her that he had been scratching the days he had been without her into the walls. That's when one of the bricks moved, and he found the treasure. The King's lost fortune.
The princess rejoiced, and flew to her father, telling him the news. He embraced his daughter, set the tailor's son free and welcomed him into his family.
And they all lived happily ever after.
So, long story short, what presents are ya gonna gimmee?
