Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Locking the Stable After the Horse Already Gone

Once upon a time there was a prince, much beloved by his father and mother, the king and queen. He excelled in all matters save one, and this was knowledge of the nature of his own mind. This defect in his education troubled the king and queen, and they resolved to correct the situation.

At the edge of the kingdom there lived a magician of no small ability. So, one fine day the king and queen took the prince to the magician's house, where they were immediately welcomed by the magician himself. He listened with interest as the king and queen explained their concerns, and then he addressed the prince himself.

"What is it that you enjoy more than any other thing in the world?" he asked the prince.

After thinking a moment, the prince replied, "I enjoy riding horses."

"Then excuse me a moment," responded the magician. "And, while I am gone, watch the calendar and the clock on the wall." He then left the room.

The request seemed eccentric, but the prince did as requested. The calendar showed the date and the clock showed the time. It was February 26th at 12:01 p.m..

In a few moments, the magician called from outside the house, "Come and see! Come and see!"

The king, queen, and prince exited the house to encounter the magician leading the most beautiful horse anyone had ever seen. The qualities of this horse surpassed the finest horses in the kingdom, and the prince was immediately enthralled.

"Go ahead," said the magician to the prince. "Get on and ride."

The prince eagerly mounted the horse and immediately he did so, the horse took off at a gallop, running as if it had wings. The prince was filled with exhilaration, as the horse ran over hill and dale, field and meadow, flying like the wind. Together, the prince and the horse traveled for how long they knew not, until suddenly, without warning, the horse pulled up short.

The prince went flying over the horse's head and hit the ground with a crash, knocked unconscious by the fall.

He awoke to a vision of loveliness: a girl his own age, so beautiful that she seemed like an angel. She kneeled tenderly beside him as he lay on the ground, caressing his forehead, whispering in a beautiful voice that everything would be fine.

"But, who are you?" asked the prince.

"Oh, I am the princess of the kingdom hereabouts," she replied. "Let me take you to our castle, so that you can meet my father and mother."

Forgetting all about his horse, the prince followed the princess to her castle, and there met her parents. He was begged to stay as a guest, and a beautiful room was decorated especially to his taste. Shortly, when the attraction between the prince and princess became undeniable, an engagement was announced, and not long after, a magnificent wedding was held in the castle. Amid great pomp and circumstance, and in an incredible display of wealth and luxury, the prince and princess were wed.

They were given enlarged quarters in the castle, and there they spent many a happy day, enjoying one another's company.

One day, when the princess was absent on an errand elsewhere in the castle, the prince took to gazing out the window, and suddenly he spied his wonderful horse. It came to him that he had not ridden since the day he met the princess, and he became somewhat nostalgic. Therefore, he left the castle and walked up to his horse.

Immediately he mounted the horse, all was exactly as it had been before. The horse took off at a gallop, running as if it had wings. The prince was filled with exhilaration, as the horse ran over hill and dale, field and meadow, flying like the wind. Together, the prince and the horse traveled for how long they knew not, until suddenly, without warning, the horse pulled up short.

The prince went flying over the horse's head and hit the ground with a crash, knocked unconscious by the fall.

He awoke in the magician's room, surrounded by the magician, his mother, and his father. The calendar showed the date and the clock showed the time. It was February 26th at 12:02 p.m..

"So tell me," asked the magician. "Did you enjoy the ride?"

Stumble Upon Toolbar

1 reader comments:

Conceição said...

what tatoo did you did? .....

a rabit? a croc? a kanguru?