Cleo

Once upon a time so long ago that only I can remember and in a land so near the sea‘s edge that fierce waves have since washed it into obliteration, there lived a beautiful young princess whose heart was filled with the warm sunshine and soft breezes of spring. Youth’s gentle showers rained down and raised up in her heart of spring, tender shoots of hope. They were not unlike the hope that the earth herself holds each spring when she sends up her seedlings and believes that enough will be provided to make them grow strong and bloom; that all that is needed to make the world bright and beautiful will be given.

The princess went about her life waiting, waiting for the prince she was sure was hers and who would soon come to claim her and make all in her life bright and beautiful. But disturbing things were happening while she waited. She tried very hard to concentrate on nothing but the coming of her prince, but she had a head as well as a heart. She began to notice not all princes and princesses lived happily ever after. This was very disturbing to the princess because she wanted everyone to be as happy as she was sure she and her prince would soon be.

Day after day she waited and still the prince did not come. All the while, try as she may to ignore them, she could not help but she the unhappy princes and princess until she could no longer believe that there was for her and for everyone else a prince or princess--whichever might apply to the individual case--that would make their world bright and beautiful. Still, her heart insisted on growing the plants of hope, but her intellect disputed their validity.

The odds didn’t look good and this princess was no gambler, so while her heart was busy with the shoots of hope, her head got busy building a life for her that would be rewarding without a prince. Just when the princess had figured out that the numbers simply did not allow for a prince for every princess, that not many princes and princesses really seemed very happy with each other over the long haul, and that according to how her own personal prince department was going, there just was not going to be a prince for her--into her life he galloped.

Into her life he galloped astride a powerful, snow white horse and wearing armor that sparkled and gleamed in the sun. When he threw down the golden spear he carried and raised his visor, she saw that he was undoubtedly the most handsome prince she had ever seen. His eyes were the bluest of blue eyes ever created and out of his smile jumped fairies carrying the answer to every wish she had ever wished. His voice was honey that covered her in slow sweetness.

That he was incredibly bright was immediately evident in the fact that he found her bright, beautiful and charming. He was, in fact, quite charming himself and made a point of smiling that enchanted smile often and telling her, often, of all her amazing and unique qualities. It was obvious that he was far superior to all the other princes who had failed to recognize what an unusual and exquisite creature she truly was.

So she, of course, threw caution to the wind--she had always actually preferred her heart to her head, silly girl--and married him immediately, expecting nothing less than to live happily ever after and even longer if it could be arranged. Unknown, however, to the princess, an evil green fairy watched and waited for the opportunity to turn the bright and beautiful world of the princess into a world of bleakness and gloom. It didn’t take long for the opportunity to present itself and the evil fairy went right to work.

Though he was a prince of a man, her beloved was obligated to work for the good of the kingdom. When he was sometimes late in returning to the princess after his princely work, an ugly green aura appeared all around him. This caused the princess to be very confused and insecure, but her prince pointed out what an unusual and exquisite princess she was and how very deeply he loved her. This always returned her world to bright and beautiful. Her prince was such a powerful man.

On occasion, the knights of the kingdom would request the company of her prince in the great hall. The drinking of ale and telling of tale tales strengthened their friendship. The princess realized that maintaining individuality was important to a relationship and tried very hard to glad that her prince had so many dear friends. But the evil, green fairy would cause the eyes of her prince--those bluest of blue eyes--to bulge slightly when he returned to his princess. The princess felt that she could hardly recognize her prince. Her prince would, once again, assure her of her unusual and unique qualities and of his deep love for her. Her world always returned to bright and beautiful with the reassurance of her prince. He was such a patient prince.

Sometimes, only sometimes, when her prince was speaking of someone else, the evil, green fairy would cause his voice to acquire a low, unpleasant tone. Certainly he never said that any other princess was as unusual and unique as she was. Since the princess knew nothing of the evil, green fairy, this strangeness in the sound of his voice was very unnerving for her. Her prince never tired of returning her world to its rightful bright and beautiful place.

Once when the princess found a letter from another princess in the pocket of her prince, she was certain that some evil scheme was brewing between her prince and that bi........between her prince and the other princess. Silly Princess!! Of course her prince had to meet with the other princess if he was going to interview her about a position as lady-in-waiting for his beautiful, bright, unusual and exquisite princess.

What a silly goose his princess was! The unselfish prince was willing to work very hard to undo the work of the evil, green fairy and restore his princess’ world to bright and beautiful, and indeed, she fell asleep very happy and content beside her prince.

Her prince was snoring. This was not something that normally bothered the princess. She loved and needed her prince so much that a little snoring was a small price to pay for the privilege of lying beside him while he slept. But tonight the evil, green fairy had caused his snoring to take on that low, ugly sound again and when her leg brushed against her prince, it didn’t feel like his leg. It was dry, rough...scaly. She quickly turned to wake her prince and tell him of her fears.

But he was not there. Gone! Gone! Forever gone was her prince. On his pillow, instead, lay an ugly, green frog.

The princess immediately grabbed up the slimy frog and ripped his hea......NO........no, no......of course she didn’t. She was a very civilized princ......she was a very civilized pri.........she was a very civilized woman, so, of course she did not rip off the head of the frog. She only wanted to rip off his head. Instead, she left the frog bed, gathered her children and her clothes and went to live in the land of ordinary women. In the land of ordinary women, her world is sometimes bright and beautiful, sometimes dark and dreary and sometimes cold and hard. But she is never bothered by green auras or bulging eyes. She is never awakened in the night by the sound of a low, ugly voice and slimy things sleeping on the pillow next to hers never ever bother her.

The moral of the story is simple. If you happen to be a storybook princess, kiss whomever you please; because, for you, even a frog can be a prince in hiding. If on the other hand, you happen to an ordinary woman, careful with your kisses because for you, even a prince can be...........................only a frog

Author: Lady Lou