Young King Arthur was ambushed and imprisoned by the monarch of a
neighboring kingdom. The monarch could have killed him, but was moved
by
Arthur's youth and ideals. So the monarch offered him freedom, as
long as
he
could answer a very difficult question. Arthur would have a year to
figure
out the answer; if, after a year, he still had no answer, he would be
put
to
death.
The question: What do women really want?
Such a question would perplex even the most knowledgeable man, and,
to
young
Arthur, it seemed an impossible query. But, since it was better than
death,
he accepted the monarch's proposition to have an answer by year's
end.
He returned to his kingdom and began to poll everybody: the princess,
the
prostitutes, the priests, the wise men, the court jester. He spoke
with
everyone, but no one could give him a satisfactory answer. Many
people
advised him to consult the old witch--only she would know the answer.
The price would be high; the witch was famous throughout the kingdom
for
the
exorbitant prices she charged.
The last day of the year arrived and
Arthur
had no alternative but to talk to the witch. She agreed to answer his
question, but he'd have to accept her price first: The old witch
wanted to
marry Gawain, the most noble of the Knights of the Round Table and
Arthur's
closest friend!
Young Arthur was horrified: She was hunchbacked and hideous, had only
one
tooth, smelled like sewage, made obscene noises... etc. He had never
encountered such a repugnant creature. He refused to force his friend
to
marry her and have to endure such a burden.
Gawain, upon learning of the proposal, spoke with Arthur. He told him
that
nothing was too big a sacrifice compared to Arthur's life and the
preservation of the Round Table. Hence, their wedding was proclaimed,
and
the witch answered Arthur's question thus:
What a woman really wants is to be in charge of her own life.
Everyone instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth and
that Arthur's life would be spared. And so it was. The neighboring
monarch
granted Arthur total freedom.
What a wedding Gawain and the witch
had!
Arthur was torn between relief and anguish. Gawain was proper as
always,
gentle and courteous. The old witch put her worst manners on display,
and
generally made everyone very uncomfortable.
The honeymoon hour approached. Gawain, steeling himself for a
horrific
experience, entered the bedroom. But what a sight awaited him! The
most
beautiful woman he'd ever seen lay before him! The astounded Gawai
asked
what had happened. The beauty replied that since he had been so kind
to her
when she'd appeared as a witch, she would henceforth be her horrible,
deformed self half the time, and the other half, she would be her
beautiful
maiden self.
Which would he want her to be during the day, and which during the
night?
What a cruel question! Gawain pondered his predicament. During the
day, a
beautiful woman to show off to his friends, but at night, in the
privacy of
his home, an old witch? Or would he prefer having by day a hideous
witch,
but by night a beautiful woman with whom to enjoy many intimate
moments?
What would you do? What Gawain chose follows below, but don't read
until
you've made your own choice.
Noble Gawain replied that he would let her choose for herself. Upon
hearing this, she announced that she would be beautiful all the time,
because he had respected her enough to let her be in charge of her
own
life.
What is the moral of this story?
The moral is:
If your woman doesn't get her own way, things are going to get ugly!
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