Life - Light Your Small Corner

He wanted to ensure that his daughter marry a wise and loving man. So he posed them a problem.

The King said, “I have three empty windowless rooms deep down inside my castle. Each of you will be assigned a room each. You are to decide what you will bring into this room so as to fill it up. And if my daughter stays longest in your room, then you may have her hand in marriage.”

So the three suitors went off in different directions to bring back something to fill the empty windowless room.

After some time, all three suitors returned. The King was waiting outside all three rooms and said, “Enter now your room. Soon I will ask my daughter to enter each room. When she does, fill the room with whatever you have brought with you and if she stays the longest in your room, you may have her hand in marriage.”

So the first suitor, with both his arms clutching a large dark sealed jar, made his way into his room. As he entered, he said, “Surely mine will fill this room to the full and surely the Princess will stay longest with me.”

Then the second suitor lugged a box into his room. As he entered he smiled to the last suitor and said, “Ah, he doesn’t know that what I have in this box will not only fill the room to the brim but will surely make the Princess stay the longest yet!”

Finally, the last suitor had only a small basket not larger than his hands. Quietly he stepped into his room.

The Princess then entered the first room. The huge heavy door was shut after her. Immediately there was total darkness. For it was after all a windowless room. The suitor called out, “Oh Princess do not fear. For I have with me something that will fill this room and make your stay most pleasant.” Quickly, the suitor broke the seal of the large jar and immediately a sweet fragrant scent filled the whole room.

The Princess exclaimed, “Oh it’s smells so good. I think I will stay awhile.” But soon because the room was windowless, the fragrance grew stronger and stronger till it was almost too much for the nose and the Princess banged hard at the door and yelled for the door to be opened. She stayed in there for a grand total of only five minutes.

Half gasping for air, the Princess said to her father, “Oh King, the fragrance filled the room quickly but the fragrance grew too strong for comfort. I could not stay on any longer. Besides I could not see who the suitor was and did not have a chance to know him well.”

The King shook his head and then ushered the Princess into the second room.

Once the door was shut after her, the room turned pitched dark. But even before she could greet the second suitor, beautiful music began filling the whole room immediately. The suitor had brought in his accordion. Soon the music was followed by lovely baritone singing!

When the Princess heard the music and the singing, she soon forgot about her unpleasant ordeal in the first room and started humming along! Soon she had her hands stretched out, wanting to feel her way towards the suitor to get closer to him. Alas! As she inched forward, she accidentally poked one eye of the suitor. Naturally the suitor raised one hand to his eye and in the process the accordion slipped out from his other hand and crashed onto the floor. That ended the music and the song. In its place was the sound of moanings and things unmentionable. Before long, the Princess was once again banging at the door and asking to be let out. She stayed in there for a grand total of only ten minutes.

Once outside she said to her father, “Oh King, the music and the singing was so wonderful. I had thought I would stay forever. But alas, it was too dark and I could not see him. So I accidentally poked his eye and he dropped his accordion. Then it was only moanings and cussings. I could not stand it any longer. I’m so glad I didn’t have to see the angry look on his face!”

The King shook his head and then ushered the Princess into the third room.

Once inside the room, the door shut tight but after that nothing happened. The Princess called out to the third suitor in the dark. But there was no reply. It was total silence, total darkness. She kept calling for a response but no response came.

Soon the Princess grew tired of calling into silent darkeness. Just as she threatened out loud that she would leave there was a sudden flash of brightness and the room was filled with light! And right before her eyes she could see the suitor, his face just right in front of hers, holding on to a small candle. Their eyes met. He smiled. She smiled. Words began to flow.

Outside the King had began pacing up and down the third door as more than ten minutes had passed since his daughter entered the room. Now he was worried what has happened to her as she had been in the room for more than hour already. Soon the King could not stand it any longer and so he had the guard open the door.

To his surprised, he found his daughter and the suitor seated on floor and laughing and talking away! The daughter looked up and said to her father, “Oh King, the light from his candle lit up the room and for the first time I could see who my suitor is. That has opened up the way to meaningful conversation as now I can see who I am speaking to. Our conversation was so interesting and the candle provided much light and warmth that I didn’t realize time had passed by so much so soon!”

The King listened with pleasure and replied, “My dearest precious daughter, it seems you have found someone whom you can share much with. Someone who could fill a darl room full of light, warmth and laughter! Would you consent to give your hand in marriage to this suitor?”

The Princess looked into the suitor’s eyes as he looked back into hers, and said, “Yes, I consent.”

And so the final suitor managed to win the Princess’s hand in marriage and they lived happily ever after.