Arthur's Quest
by Brian Houston
King Arthur was ambushed and imprisoned by the monarch of a
neighbouring 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 and 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, and 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.
Finally, the last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no
alternative but to talk to the witch. She agreed to answer the
question, but he had to accept her price first. The old witch
wanted to marry Gawain, the most notable 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 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 neighbouring 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 hour approached, Gawain, steeling himself for a horrific
experience, entered the bedroom. But what a sight waited him!
The most beautiful woman he had never seen lay before him!
The astounded Gawain 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 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?
(Please pause a while and do not read on
until you have made up your own mind)
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?
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THE MORAL IS:
IF A WOMAN DOESN'T GET HER WAY,
THINGS GET UGLY.
Features - Humour
