I meant to write a fairy tale today. I haven’t gotten around to it, yet, so maybe I’ll just go ahead and do it now.
Once upon a time there was an old king who had no children. Due to the two previous mentioned facts, that the king was old and that he had no children, the king who was old and had no children decided that he really ought to chose a suitable heir to the throne to take his place after his death since he was old and had no children.
Therefore the king who was old and had no children(I suppose you probably know that the king was old had no children by now so I may not be mentioning it again.) announced one day that there was going to be a grand contest and the winner would become king, or queen as the case might be, after his death. However, any who tried and failed… well, we shall see what will happen to the losers.
The news of this contest quickly spread throughout the entire kingdom and before a day was over there few who had not heard the news. Crowds of villagers, nobles, peasants, merchants, and everyone else not covered in the previous categories soon showed up outside the castle gates for the contest was open to all with no exceptions. Many wondered what the contest would have them do, whether it might be a riddle to be solved, a deed to be done, a test to be taken, or something completely different.
In a small village there was a miller, he was well thought of in his community, who had three sons. The two eldest were considered to be very fine fellows though they had a distaste for working with their own hands but the youngest son was considered the village idiot. Naturally, the two eldest sons expressed their desire to go to the capitol and try their hand at becoming king. And naturally their younger brother said that he would like to go too and naturally he was laughed to scorn before permission was given for him to go along with the rest of the family for the Miller decided that he himself would try his hand at being king.
So the entire family set off towards the castle. Along the way they passed an old woman who was trying to take in her laundry but the wind was blowing so hard that she was experiencing great difficulty with this. The youngest son decided to help her and after he had done this the old woman thanked him and then she gave him an old sack, much worn but still serviceable. He thanked her and went on until he saw a large tree that had fallen onto a mushroom and the youngest son paused from his journey long enough to move the tree off the mushroom, and the tree expressed grateful thanks for no longer having to be in contact with such a disgustingly squishy thing as a mushroom. The tree was an apple tree and had many large apples still on its branches and since the tree made no objections the youngest son filled his sack with apples and hurried on to catch up with his family. Eventually they arrived at the castle.
There was a very long line outside it, as might be expected. Every few minutes some would be let in and there was a steady stream of rather disappointed persons going out who apparently hadn’t succeeded. It was many hours before the miller and his family had their chance to get inside the castle, and once they were inside the castle they found that they still had yet another long line to go through so the shadows of evening were beginning to fall before the miller, who decided to go first, was allowed into the presence of the old and childless king.
The king looked rather tired but said to him, “What has trees that nobody sees?” The miller looked at the king but he couldn’t think of a proper answer and after a moment or two a rather fierce looking guard said, “Answer or be disqualified.” but the miller still couldn’t think of a proper answer so he was sent out and his eldest son brought in.
The eldest son fared no better than his father and his brother fared no better than either. But when it was the youngest sons turn he actually gave an answer to the question which was, “Apples” but that, apparently, was not the correct answer to the question therefore he was sent away. However the trip was not a total loss for him for he started peddling his apples to those outside the castle gates and sold them for twenty times their worth to the hungry and tired persons who did not want to lose their place in line to go buy food. With all of the profits he made he bought an orchard when he got back to his village and settled down and married the pretty daughter of a neighboring farmer and was quite contented with his lot and never regretted that he didn’t become the king.
However the quest for the next king was still going on. For about five days there was a steady stream of the subjects of the king coming to try their fortunes but at last the stream began to slow down to a trickle and eventually it was decided that everyone in the kingdom must have tried and failed and no new king had been found. However the old and childless king did not look disappointed, instead he ordered that the records of his kingdom, according the most recent census, should be brought forward as well as the book of names that each person who had come to the castle to try to be king. These records were brought and the king carefully examined them and when he was done he ordered his carriage.
The king had written down the addresses of the only three persons in his entire kingdom who had not come to the castle for the contest. The first two addresses he tried he found that the persons mentioned had died before the start of the contest. However the last one led his way to a small, but neatly kept, hut by the edge of a forest. Outside there was a young man briskly chopping wood.
The king got out of his carriage and walked towards the young man. When he noticed his visitor the young man stopped chopping wood long enough to bow politely and then he recommenced his work. The king, after waiting a moment said, “Have you heard about the contest?”
“Aye,” the young man replied, “I doubt that any have not heard about that.”
“Why haven’t you tried competing?” the king asked questioningly.
“I have my business to attend to.” the young man replied, “When one has a job to do one shouldn’t go off on wild goose chases.”
The King looked pleased, “A King,” he said, “also should attend to the business of his kingdom and not go off on wild goose chases. I hear by announce you the winner of the contest and my heir.” Upon hearing this declaration the king was the only one present who was not greatly surprised and indeed, when they heard the news, the whole kingdom was surprised. However the young man worked very hard at learning how to become king and a good one at that, and he succeeded and when the time came for him to become king he did a very good job of it and his reign was long and prosperous and unlike the old and childless king the young man married a lovely princess and they had eighteen children who all turned out very well and won for themselves fame and fortunes in the wide world.
So everybody lived happily ever after. THE END
MORAL: Minding one’s own business is often more profitable than standing in long lines for days upon end, unless your business is standing in long line for days upon end and if that is the case I would highly suggest changing your occupation to something more profitable.
