Once upon a time there was a prince who lived in his Kingdom up in the Northern Mountains. He went on a travels across the Great River to the Eastern Kingdom of the Rising Sun. There he rested in his Uncle's home for a few days before he made his return journey back to his Chilly City. One day he went to fish by the river near his Uncle's home. As he sat with the bait and tackle, he heard someone sobbing. He left his bait and tackle on the river bank and followed the sound to a big tree, where he found a girl sitting and crying. He asked her why was she crying, she was startled to see him and tried to run away. He called after her and introduced himself. She sat down again and told him that there was a merchant who had loaned her money and now wanted it back, she could not afford to give it back as she didn't have the required amount. The prince offered to pay off the merchant, she refused to accept the offer. He insisted that he would be only helping her and she should accept. She said she would have to think about it. She had a black Pony and she left on in. He wondered why she didn't have a proper horse, he found the Pony to be ridiculously slow and a silly beast to be kept.
The prince went back to fishing wondering what was there for someone to think about this offer. It was a fair offer. He waited for her to meet him and accept the offer. But she did not come. One day during a dinner in his honor at his uncle's home, he saw her again. He approached her and she spoke to him but did not mention anything about their previous meeting.
He thought may be her problems had been resolved. That night, before she left, she hesitantly asked him whether he was still willing to help her. He smiled and told her that it was a smart choice she was making. As she waited for her pony to be brought from the stables, he could not help but mention it to her why she did not invest in a horse which was faster and much smarter than this ghastly little beast. She smiled and said that she loved her pony and she wouldn't exchange it for any horse. Next day he arranged for the payment to be made on her behalf to the merchant.
Time passed by and the prince went on a small excursion to the near by towns, when he returned he was pleasantly surprised to find the girl waiting for him. He greeted her with a broad smile just like old friends. He realized that he had come to think of her as a friend. So it came to be that the Prince became a friend to this girl.But he could never understand why she kept that pony, infact, one day he even suggested that he would buy her a new horse, if she wanted. She declined to accept the offer. He made fun of her every time he saw her with her pony and asked her whether she'd like to race with a Donkey and she who lost.She smiled and said she loved her pony.
Months had gone past and it was almost nearing the time for the prince to depart for his kingdom, the girl came to him one day with all the money he had offered her. She told him that although she was returning him all the money yet she may require some of it at a later date. He didn't even think twice before agreeing. She was his friend.
The prince was now back in his kingdom, he seldom talked to his friend. But one day she sent him an urgent request for some money and he immediately ensured it was made available to her.He also insisted that she buy a new horse immediately because he had heard that pony's didn't live too long. She replied back that she loved her pony and didn't want to replace it.
There was a big festival in the Eastern kingdom and the prince was a special guest for it. He arrived with grandeur and half of his court. When the girl came to meet him, he had no time for her, as he remained surrounded by well wishers and other dignitaries. She left quietly. The week long festival was almost over, when the prince on one of his ride on the river bank met her again under the same tree. She was sobbing again. He wondered what was wrong this time. When he approached her and asked her, she told him that she was sad that the prince had not met her even once. The prince felt bad for his friend and insisted that they spend the next day by the riverside and have small picnic.
The next day the prince arrived to find the girl and her pony waiting for him. He chuckled looking at the pony. They sat down for the picnic and chatted away about all that had been happening. It was a humid day and the Sun was burning down on them, he laughed at the girl pointing to her purple scarf, and wondering aloud why had she brought it along. She said that she liked the color so she thought she would wear it today. He laughed even louder and said, how come she always loved all these weird things like a pony instead of a horse, a purple scarf instead of some nice color.
At the end of the picnic the girl invited him to come to her birthday. He said he would definitely come. He asked her what gift she wanted. He really thought that it was a good opportunity for her to replace the pony. She did not smile but said that if he felt so conscious about her choice of a beast then he should probably re think his agreeing to come to her party. She wondered what other things she owns might offend his sensibility.
He thought about her words on his way back and started to get angry. He was always so nice to her and why was she so surly. What did she see in her silly pony he wondered.
On the day of the event, he reached with his friends and courtiers and gifted the girl a beautiful, expensive silk scarf which he purchased from a foreign merchant. The festivities at the girls home went on late into the night. Everyone had a lot of fun.
The next morning it was again time for the prince to return to his kingdom. He went to say goodbye to his friend. He asked her whether she liked the gift he had given her. She smiled saying that she liked it. He asked whether she tried it on. She said she had the moment she had unpacked it. It was beautiful. She was proud to own it. He laughed and told her at least she had let him replace one silly thing she owned if not her horse, after all the silk scarf was so much better than the indigenous Purple piece of cloth she pretended to love. She smiled and told him that she would never think of his gift as replacing her favorite scarf. She didn't stop loving something just because he didn't approve of it, in the same way she didn't stop loving him even though he demeaned and humiliated her every time he laughed or cracked jokes about her pony or her scarf.
The smile from the prince's face vanished when she stopped smiling and waved goodbye and closed the door of her house.
The prince went back to fishing wondering what was there for someone to think about this offer. It was a fair offer. He waited for her to meet him and accept the offer. But she did not come. One day during a dinner in his honor at his uncle's home, he saw her again. He approached her and she spoke to him but did not mention anything about their previous meeting.
He thought may be her problems had been resolved. That night, before she left, she hesitantly asked him whether he was still willing to help her. He smiled and told her that it was a smart choice she was making. As she waited for her pony to be brought from the stables, he could not help but mention it to her why she did not invest in a horse which was faster and much smarter than this ghastly little beast. She smiled and said that she loved her pony and she wouldn't exchange it for any horse. Next day he arranged for the payment to be made on her behalf to the merchant.
Time passed by and the prince went on a small excursion to the near by towns, when he returned he was pleasantly surprised to find the girl waiting for him. He greeted her with a broad smile just like old friends. He realized that he had come to think of her as a friend. So it came to be that the Prince became a friend to this girl.But he could never understand why she kept that pony, infact, one day he even suggested that he would buy her a new horse, if she wanted. She declined to accept the offer. He made fun of her every time he saw her with her pony and asked her whether she'd like to race with a Donkey and she who lost.She smiled and said she loved her pony.
Months had gone past and it was almost nearing the time for the prince to depart for his kingdom, the girl came to him one day with all the money he had offered her. She told him that although she was returning him all the money yet she may require some of it at a later date. He didn't even think twice before agreeing. She was his friend.
The prince was now back in his kingdom, he seldom talked to his friend. But one day she sent him an urgent request for some money and he immediately ensured it was made available to her.He also insisted that she buy a new horse immediately because he had heard that pony's didn't live too long. She replied back that she loved her pony and didn't want to replace it.
There was a big festival in the Eastern kingdom and the prince was a special guest for it. He arrived with grandeur and half of his court. When the girl came to meet him, he had no time for her, as he remained surrounded by well wishers and other dignitaries. She left quietly. The week long festival was almost over, when the prince on one of his ride on the river bank met her again under the same tree. She was sobbing again. He wondered what was wrong this time. When he approached her and asked her, she told him that she was sad that the prince had not met her even once. The prince felt bad for his friend and insisted that they spend the next day by the riverside and have small picnic.
The next day the prince arrived to find the girl and her pony waiting for him. He chuckled looking at the pony. They sat down for the picnic and chatted away about all that had been happening. It was a humid day and the Sun was burning down on them, he laughed at the girl pointing to her purple scarf, and wondering aloud why had she brought it along. She said that she liked the color so she thought she would wear it today. He laughed even louder and said, how come she always loved all these weird things like a pony instead of a horse, a purple scarf instead of some nice color.
At the end of the picnic the girl invited him to come to her birthday. He said he would definitely come. He asked her what gift she wanted. He really thought that it was a good opportunity for her to replace the pony. She did not smile but said that if he felt so conscious about her choice of a beast then he should probably re think his agreeing to come to her party. She wondered what other things she owns might offend his sensibility.
He thought about her words on his way back and started to get angry. He was always so nice to her and why was she so surly. What did she see in her silly pony he wondered.
On the day of the event, he reached with his friends and courtiers and gifted the girl a beautiful, expensive silk scarf which he purchased from a foreign merchant. The festivities at the girls home went on late into the night. Everyone had a lot of fun.
The next morning it was again time for the prince to return to his kingdom. He went to say goodbye to his friend. He asked her whether she liked the gift he had given her. She smiled saying that she liked it. He asked whether she tried it on. She said she had the moment she had unpacked it. It was beautiful. She was proud to own it. He laughed and told her at least she had let him replace one silly thing she owned if not her horse, after all the silk scarf was so much better than the indigenous Purple piece of cloth she pretended to love. She smiled and told him that she would never think of his gift as replacing her favorite scarf. She didn't stop loving something just because he didn't approve of it, in the same way she didn't stop loving him even though he demeaned and humiliated her every time he laughed or cracked jokes about her pony or her scarf.
The smile from the prince's face vanished when she stopped smiling and waved goodbye and closed the door of her house.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment