Once Upon A Time there lived a very beautiful and very unhappy Princess. She was unhappy because every Prince in the kingdom had fallen in love with her. While this would make most any woman happy, the Princess did not love any of them back, and so, to her it only brought great sadness and worry.
Every day, men would journey from miles around to come to her window with gifts and tokens for her. They would read her poetry and set off in her name to perform great deeds of bravery and courage. They would call to her, “Beautiful Princess, I love thee more than any other man, and upon my return I will win your heart and carry you away to be my Bride!” This was all a very wonderful display but none of the gifts or poems touched her heart and no man moved her spirit at all. She went to bed every night with a heavy heart, worried she would never know what true love was.
One day the Princess was walking through the market when she happened upon an old crone selling the most beautiful reams of silk.
“You seem unhappy Princess. Some silks to cheer you..?” asked the old woman. “You are the Princess and so you may have any one that makes you happy.”
“I do not know if I will ever be happy,” said the Princess, “ I will never fall in love.”, she sighed. “Besides, I would hardly know which to choose, they are all so beautiful..”. The old crone rose to her feet with great labor and hobbled along, plucking three lengths of silk from her table.
“Well, my Princess, these three are my finest. Not only will they bring you happiness, but true love for certain. This one, “ she said, holding out a length of royal blue silk, “is the strongest of them all. This one, “ she continued, holding out a length of gold silk, “is the brightest of them all, and this one is the warmest of them all,”, she croaked, fluttering a length of red silk towards the Princess. “Take these three. Lay one on your bed every night for the next three nights, and on the fourth day bring me back the ones you do not want and keep your favorite.”
The Princess pondered the idea. She did not know how silk would bring her happiness or find her true love, but there seemed no harm in trying out each to see which was her favorite. She agreed and bid the old woman good day.
As the Princess returned to the castle she came upon one of her servants. He was a fine young man, and like all the fine young men of the Kingdom, was deeply in love with the beautiful Princess. He knew she did not care for him, but he wished every day for a way to win her heart.
“Boy-” called the Princess.
“Yes, my Lady?” asked the boy.
“Take these silks to my room. I wish to test them to find the best. For the next three nights I wish to sleep on each one. Tonight, lay out the blue silk across my bed and then leave me to my slumbers.” she said. The servant boy nodded in response and cast his eye towards the floor. As the Princess passed him the hem of her gown brushed the top of his shoe and he watched her walk away down the hall. She was so beautiful and so unhappy it brought a tear to his eye. He swore some day he would find a way to make her smile.
That night the boy did as the Princess had asked and laid the blue silk across her bed, but he was so driven by his love for her he could not bear to leave her room. Instead he hid himself in her wardrobe and waited to watch the Princess sleep.Unaware of the boy, the Princess slipped between her sheets onto the blue silk,
“My, this is the strongest silk I have ever touched,” she admired, and with that, the Princess fell into slumber.
Only moments had passed when suddenly there was a great light that filled the room. The boy hiding in the wardrobe had to shield his eyes for fear he might go blind. When he looked again a tall and handsome Prince dressed all in blue silks was standing at the sleeping Princess’ bedside.
“Princess!” cried the boy, leaping from his hiding spot. The Princess awoke with a start and the mysterious Prince leapt across the room and snatched the boy up by his shirt collar.
“What is going on?!” cried the Princess.
“I am the strongest Prince in all the land!” laughed the handsome man in blue, “and this scoundrel tried to attack you!” he boomed, shaking the boy like a rag doll.
“No!No! Princess,“ begged the boy, “I was merely checking on you and your safety and found this strange man had appeared in your room!”
“You are a liar, Boy! If there is a man in my chambers then obviously I have requested him there!” said the Princess though, indeed, she did not know where the Prince had come from. “Now go away! You have disturbed my sleep!” she said and with that the Prince cast the boy from the room with one mighty throw.
Left alone with the Prince, the Princess said,
“My, you must be very strong to throw a man such a great distance.”
“Indeed Princess, I am the strongest ever made. I have battled great beast and dragons, and fought hundreds of men, whole armies, all by myself. If you’ll marry me, I’ll build you the strongest castle, and keep you locked safe behind the strongest doors, so no harm will ever come to you.” The Princess looked at the Prince in blue silk.
“But if I am to be locked up, how will I enjoy the world?” she asked of him.
“Why, the world is a dangerous place you silly girl. What need would you have of it when I would be there to make you happy.” he replied.
This answer made the Princess unhappy. Though he was handsome and strong she did not wish to be locked away from the world when there were so many beautiful things in it to see.
“I do not think that will make me happy.” sighed the Princess and with that the strong Prince vanished, leaving only a pile of blue silk where he stood.
The Princess awoke very unhappy the next morning. She passed the servant boy who loved her and said to him,
“Change the silks on my bed, boy. Tonight I wish to sleep on the gold silk, and I better not catch you spying on me again or I will have you hung for your bold ways.”. The servant boy nodded in response and cast his eye towards the floor. As the Princess passed him he could smell her sweet perfume and he watched her walk away down the hall. She was so beautiful and so unhappy it brought a tear to his eye. He swore some day he would find a way to make her smile.
That night he changed the silks as he had promised, and though he knew she would kill him if she found him, he could not resist the urge to hid again in her wardrobe. He feared that if one strange Prince could find his way into her bed chambers, perhaps another would do so as well.Unaware of the boy, the Princess slipped between her sheets, this time onto the gold silk,
“My, this is the brightest silk I have ever seen,” she admired, and with that, the Princess fell into slumber.
Only moments had passed when, again, there was a great flash of light that filled the room. This time when the boy looked back a tall and handsome Prince dressed all in gold silks was standing at the sleeping Princess’ bedside. This time the boy knew better than to cry out and so he stayed hidden and silent.
The Princess woke and looked up at the Prince. He was more handsome than the strong prince had been, and he greeted her with a smile,
“O, beautiful Princess- I have come to write endless poems in your honor, as I am the smartest Prince in all the land. I have learned all the things there are to know in the world and have read all the books ever written by man. If you’ll marry me and be my bride I’ll teach you the secrets of the entire universe.” he said.
The Princess pondered his offer. He sounded like so many of the other men in the town, praising her beauty with long, dull, poetry.
“What if I wish to learn the secrets of the universe myself?” she asked of him. To this he replied with a frown,
“You are too beautiful and delicate to wander the world, sticking your nose into things you know nothing about. I will teach you and it will be better that way.”
This made the Princess very unhappy. She was certain no man could teach her the secrets of the universe better than she could learn them for herself.
“I do not think that will make me happy.” sighed the Princess and with that the smart Prince vanished, leaving only a pile of gold silk where he stood.
The next morning the Princess awoke more unhappy than she had ever been. She was certain she would never get another peaceful nights rest with all these mysterious Princes coming and going, and she was growing increasingly sure that she would never find true love. She passed the servant boy who loved her and said to him,
“Change the silks on my bed, boy. Tonight I wish to sleep on the red silk, and I better not catch you spying on me or I will have you hung for your bold ways.” The servant boy nodded in response and cast his eye towards the floor. As the Princess passed him a tendril of her long hair tickled the back of his hand and he watched her walk away down the hall. She was so beautiful and so unhappy it brought a tear to his eye. He swore some day he would find a way to make her smile.
That night he changed the silk on her bed and took his place hiding in the Princesses wardrobe. The boy anticipated she would be visited by another mysterious Prince and this time he had a plan. Tonight when the Prince vanished, the boy would reveal himself to the Princess and confess his true love for her. Unaware of the boy, the Princess slipped between her sheets, this time onto the red silk,
“My, this is the warmest silk I have ever been wrapped in,” she admired, and with that, the Princess fell into slumber.
As with the previous nights, only a few moments passed when the great light filled the room. When the light faded a tall and handsome Prince dressed all in red silks was standing at the sleeping Princess’ bedside.
“Princess,” whispered the Prince in red, “wake up..” he said and kissed her rosy mouth. The Princess snapped her eyes open and sat upright in her bed. She looked at the Prince, who was by far the most handsome, and said,
“Who do you think you are?”. The Prince laughed to himself and sat on her bed, taking his hand in hers.
“Dear, sweet, beautiful Princess, I am the most romantic Prince in all the land. I have loved many women, I have kissed many lips, I have broken many hearts. If you will marry me and be my bride I will keep you in bed all the day long on the most luxurious sheets of velvet and cover you in kisses every second of every minute of every hour.”
The Princess frowned and thought for a moment.
“What if I do not wish to lie in your bed for the rest of my life?” she asked. He shook his head and pinched her cheek,
“You are so beautiful, it is obvious you are meant to adorn my bed. It is where you belong and where you will be happiest.” he said.
This made the Princess very unhappy. She was certain there was more life than lying in bed all day being smothered by kisses.
“I do not think that will make me happy.” sighed the Princess and with that the romantic Prince vanished, leaving only a pile of red silk where he stood. Now the Princess began to weep,
“Three nights, three silks, three Princes, and still I am unhappy! I will never find true love!” she sobbed. Quietly, the humble servant boy emerged from his hiding place,
“Princess...” he said. She looked up at him, her face streaked with tears.
“O, boy, what do you want of me?! Did I not tell you I would have you killed for your spying! No go away and leave me to my sorrows, please!” she yelled. He stepped toward the Princess and kneeled down at her bedside.
“Please Princess, I have something I must say to you. I know I am not a Prince. I am not the strongest man in the land, nor the smartest, nor the most romantic, but I have watched you every day in your sadness and I have sworn I would find a way to make you happy. If you’ll marry me and be my bride I promise to let you enjoy the world, and learn the secrets of the universe yourself, and do more than adorn my bed. I also promise to protect you and keep you safe, to share with you the things I learn and the things I do not know, and I promise to tell you how much I love you every night before you slip into slumber and to kiss your cheeks in the morning when you awake. I am just your humble servant, my Princess, and I promise to love and serve you everyday, whether you come to love me back or not.”, and with that the boy wiped the tears from her cheeks and began to walk from her room, leaving only an empty space where he stood.
“Boy!” she called after him, “Come back or you will make me most unhappy!”. The servant boy who loved her returned to her chamber.
“Come sit by me.” she said. He did as she asked. “You know I could have you killed for spying on me?” she asked.
“I do not care, my Princess. I would die to see you smile.”
“You do not think such a thing is foolish?” she asked.
“Nothing done out of true love is foolish, my Princess, not even to die.”
“You would risk your life to tell me how you love me?” she asked.
“A man in love must never hide his feelings, my Princess, even if it will cost him his life...” said the boy, “I love you, my Princess, and I only wish to see you smile.”
The Princess thought about this for a moment.
“What if I do not wish to smile?” asked the Princess.
“Then I suppose I will not smile either.” said the boy.
This made the Princess very unhappy. She liked to see the boy smile, as he had a warm face and a kind laugh, and she would hate to think her unhappiness caused him unhappiness too.
“I do not think that will make me happy,” sighed the Princess, “so we will have to smile and be happy together..” she said. At the sound of her words the servant boys heart filled with such love that a light flashed through the room, so bright, the Princess had to shield her eyes. When she looked again, her servant boy had been transformed into a Prince dressed in the finest silks of blue and gold and red.
“O, my Prince!” she said, and a smile spread across her face, “I never thought I would find you!”
“My beautiful Princess, I have been hiding here all along.” he said, and with that the tall, handsome, strong, smart, romantic Prince kissed the happy, smiling, beautiful Princess and they vanished in a flash of light, leaving only this story behind.
