Navtej Kohli's Collection of Inspirational Corridors
King Grisly Beard - Kohli NavtejNavtej Kohli adds another satirical story that reminds us of importance of respecting others.
Long time ago in a faraway land lived a king with his beautiful daughter of marriageable age, who was all high and mighty of herself. Living in her own conceited world, she considered no prince eligible to marry her. Every time a prince came to ask her hand in marriage, she poked fun at them and passed discourteous comments about their physical appearance whatsoever.
Among many such princes, there was a good king, whom she mockingly compared to an old mop and called him Grisly Beard.
Angry at his daughter’s rudeness towards his guests, her father swore to marry her off to the first man who comes in at door.
Few weeks later, when a traveling fiddler came to the palace to entertain at court, king ordered her daughter to marry and accompany him wherever he goes. She cried and pleaded, but all in vain. King’s decision remained firm.
Left with no other choice, she married the poor fiddler and left the palace. On the way, she noticed a great wood, some fine meadows and a splendid city. And when she discovered that it all belonged to the same king she once called Grisly Beard, she cursed her decision not to marry him.
Alas, it’s too late to think of any better, she thought. Giving into her fate, she started her new life in her husband’s paltry cottage. Now she had no servants at command, no gold-clothed maids to make the beds, and no luxuries of the palace.
She made fire, cooked scanty meals at home and labored to make ends meet. She tried her hand at weaving baskets and spinning yarn, but failed. Her husband then suggested her to sell pots and pans in the market. She hesitated initially, but agreed later for fear of starving.
She sat herself down with it in the corner of the market. The business began to do well, more because of her beauty than the pots or pans. However, it was no sooner when trouble knocked her door once again. One day, a drunken soldier came by and rode his horse against her stall and broke everything. Helpless as she was, she started crying and rushed home to tell her husband everything.
Considering her a complete waster, he asked her to work as a kitchen maid in the palace. Again with no other option but to agree, she took up all the dirtiest tasks at King’s kitchen. They began to survive on whatever left over food she received as a favor. Life for them continued like this until one day when king’s eldest son spotted her...
It was his wedding day. Surprisingly, when she was leaving for home, the King’s son caught hold of her hand and asked her to dance with him. She recognized him. He was same King Grisly Beard, whom she once insulted in her father’s court.
As he led her into the hall, the cover of the food basket she was carrying fell down. Food spilled all over the floor. Out of embarrassment she dashed towards the door but only to be stopped by the King.
He told her not to fear him and that he was the same fiddler she was living with in the cottage. He told her everything, why he brought her there and how he overset her stall. He confessed his love for her and that he did all this only to cure her of her silly pride.
On hearing this, the princess was shocked and embarrassed too. She realized her mistake and apologized. Then the court maids adorned the princess with some astonishing jewels and clothes. Everyone in the court, including her father welcomed her homecoming. The feast was majestic, but most importantly, everyone was happy.
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