Fable 3: Know thy woman

King Arthur was ambushed and imprisoned by the monarch of a neighboring kingdom. The monarch could have killed him, but was moved by Arthur's youth and ideals. So the monarch offered him freedom, as long as he could answer a very difficult question. Arthur would have a year to figure out the answer and if, after a year, he still had no answer, he would be put to death.
The question: What do women really want?

Such a question would perplex even the most knowledgeable man, and
to young Arthur, it seemed an impossible query. But, since it was
better than death, he accepted the monarch's proposition to have an answer by year's end.

He returned to his kingdom and began to poll everybody: the princess,>the prostitutes, the priests, the wise men, and the court jester. He spoke with everyone, but no one could give him a satisfactory answer.

Many people advised him to consult the old witch -- only she would know the answer. The price would be high; the witch was famous throughout the kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged.

Finally, the last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no
alternative but to talk to the witch. She agreed to answer the
question, but he had to accept her price first. The old witch wanted
to marry Gawain, the most notable of the Knights of the Round Table
and Arthur's closest friend.Young Arthur was horrified: she was hunchbacked and hideous, had only one tooth, smelled like sewage, made obscene noises... etc. He had never encountered such a repugnant creature.He refused to force his friend to marry her and have to endure such a burden.

Gawain, upon learning of the proposal, spoke with Arthur. He told
him that nothing was too big a sacrifice compared to Arthur's life
and the preservation of the Round Table.Hence, their wedding was proclaimed, and the witch answered Arthur thus: What a woman really wants is to be in charge of her own life.
Everyone instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth and
that Arthur's life would be spared. And so it was. The neighboring
monarch granted Arthur total freedom.


What a wedding Gawain and the witch had! Arthur was torn between
relief and anguish. Gawain was proper as always, gentle and courteous.
The old witch put her worst manners on display, and generally made
everyone very uncomfortable.

The hour approached, Gawain, steeling himself for a horrific experience, entered the bedroom. But what a sight awaited him! The most beautiful woman he had ever seen lay before him.
The astounded Gawain asked what had happened. The beauty replied that
since he had been so kind to her when she'd appeared as a witch, she
would henceforth be her horrible, deformed self half the time, and
the other half, she would be her beautiful maiden self.

Which would he want her to be during the day, and during the night?
What a cruel question! Gawain pondered his predicament. During the
day, a beautiful woman to show off to his friends, but at night, in
the privacy of his home, an old witch? Or would he prefer having by day a hideous witch, but by night a beautiful woman with whom to enjoy many intimate moments?

Noble Gawain replied that he would let her choose for herself.

Upon hearing this, she announced that she would be beautiful all the time, because he had respected her enough to let her be in charge
of her own life.

MORAL: IF A WOMAN DOESN'T GET HER WAY, THINGS GET UGLY.