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Once upon a time a handsome prince set out across the seven seas, and the seven mountains, and the seven dragons, to rescue a fair and beautiful princess. So at last, after great adventures, the prince approached the beautiful princess. He gazed at her, enchanted by her loveliness. She gazed back at him and then she spoke, each word tinkling like a diamond falling on mud, “Your socks don’t match your outfit.”

The puzzled prince looked down at his socks, and to his eyes he could discern nothing wrong with them. As he further contemplated the matter he felt that marriage to a princess, however fair, whose taste disagreed with his own would not be pleasant so he turned himself about and left and found a very pretty girl who didn’t care if his socks matched or not so long as he loved her, and they got married and lived happily ever after.

One day another prince decided to attempt the perilous journey to rescue the fair princess. And like his predecessor, he too had little difficulty with the many dangers and adventures surrounding the princess. He too, in his turn approached the princess and gazed enchanted at her beauty. And, as before, she looked upon him and spoke, this time in a voice as mellow as an unripe pear, “Your socks don’t match.”

The prince looked down, then looked at the princess again and then he felt that she had to be the most wonderful princess in the world, for she had an eye so discerning that she was able to tell, through a suite of armor, that his socks didn’t match. So they got married and lived happily ever after! THE END

MORAL: Some people notice socks, and some don’t. I am one who doesn’t notice them and my mother is one who does. Both ways can be good, and both ways can be annoying in their own turn.