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The question Arthur would be required to answer was: ... "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 the only other option was death, Arthur wisely accepted the monarch's proposition and promised to have the correct answer by year's end.
He returned to his kingdom and began to poll everyone: the princess, the priests, the wise men and even the court jester. He spoke with anyone and everyone, but none gave him what he felt was a satisfactory answer.
Many people advised him to consult the old witch, for they knew that only she would have the answer. But, they cautioned him, her price will be high; as the witch was famous throughout the kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged to dispense her wisdom.
The last day of the year arrived and Arthur, still with no satifactory answer, had no choice but to consult the witch. She agreed to answer his question, provided he would agree to her price.
Arthur asked what price she was seeking? She replied that she wanted to marry Sir Lancelot, the most noble of the Knights of the Round Table and Arthur's closest friend!
Young Arthur was horrified. The witch was hunchbacked and hideous, had only one tooth, smelled like sewage, made obscene noises, and her clothing was abominable. He had never encountered such a repugnant creature in all his life.
He refused to force his friend to marry her and endure such a terrible burden; but Lancelot, learning of the hag's proposal, spoke with Arthur. Lancelot insisted that no sacrifice was too great if he could spare the king's life and preserve the Round Table! He was there to serve his King!
Hence, a wedding was proclaimed and the witch answered Arthur's question thus:
What a woman really wants, is to be in charge of her own life.
Everyone in the kingdom instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth and that Arthur's life would most certainly be spared. And so it was, the neighboring monarch granted Arthur his freedom and Lancelot and the witch were married within the hour.
The honeymoon hour approached and Lancelot, 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, naked on the bed. The astounded Lancelot asked what had happened?
The beauty replied that since he had been so gallant as to marry a witch for his king, she would henceforth, be her horrible deformed self only half the time and a beautiful maiden the other half.
She then asked, "Which would you prefer? Shall I be beautiful during the day...or night?"
Lancelot pondered her question. ... During the day, a beautiful (but wise) woman to show off to his friends, and at night, in the privacy of his castle, an old witch? Or, would he prefer having a hideous (but wise) witch during the day, and by night, a beautiful woman with whom to enjoy wondrous intimate moments?
What would YOU do?
Think hard now and be honest with yourself. If placed in this position, what would you really do?
What Lancelot Did
The always valiant Lancelot made the wisest of all choices and told the witch that he would prefer she made the choice herself.
Upon hearing Lancelot's decision, she danced with glee and announced that she would be beautiful all the time because Lancelot respected her enough to let her be in charge of her own life and make her own decisions. She added that no woman wants to be ugly!
The moral of the Story
If you don't let a woman make her own decisions .... things are going to get ugly. :)
It was quite obvious that she was most competent to decide and the decision was at least as important for her as it was for him.
Ah ... but doing the right thing is NOT what many men would do and to them, the answer is NOT obvious!
What's her phone number?
Oh, and her husband's.
And her kid's.
because Lancelot respected her enough
Without respect, there is nothing. Without trust there is nothing.
btw, totally enjoyed this one.
..respect... trust..
The freedom to say no. The freedom to say yes. The desire to be respected for either choice, irrespective of anything else. That's what I think women want.
Call me a lifelong bachelor, I am. But I haven't always been a hermit. The lasting relationships that I have are deeply rooted in respect and trust.
And should you (men) ever violate either the results can be torturous and long lasting.
You are so right about this grandpa.
Sheesh, I wish you were my grandpa, could use a nice grandaughter and grandpop converstation about now :(
You are very wise.
Yes? No?
Yes, she turns ugly if he says "I prefer that you be beautiful both day and night"? Why? Because she wants to make the choice that he knows is the choice she wants to make . . so he makes it?
Arghhh! Lance runs from keyboard gnawing off his hand with his own teeth.
Yes, she turns ugly if he says "I prefer that you be beautiful both day and night"? Why? Because she wants to make the choice that he knows is the choice she wants to make . . so he makes it?
A man whose behavior and attitude towards women indicates a belief that women are innately inferior to men will instinctively do their thinking and speaking for them rather than allowing women to think and speak for themselves.
This is particularly predominent in mid-eastern cultures. Western men are leap years ahead in their general attitudes towards women ... but it is still very common for some western men to assert their perceived superiority by making assumptions and choices for women without first consulting them.
I'm sorry. I'm a man. I just don't get these things. :-P
"Honey, you choose when you will be ugly."
In my fairytale world a response such as that - "Dearest, you choose when you will be ugly" - made to a witch - is just as likely to get Lance turned into a frog.
Witch: "You idiot, Lance. The right response was "No dear, I frankly prefer that you never be ugly."
Well, I don't know if I've learned anything about women tonight, but this I know to be true about Lance in our fairytale:
Lance fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is "never get involved in a land war in Asia", but only slightly less well known is this: "Never match wits with a witch* when ugliness** is on the line!"
The Princess Bride [en.wikiquote.org] *Sicilian **death
Fear not, oh fairest Liane. I doth only tease as I am wont to do. Truly, I am redeemed of my misguided manly nature by your wonderous story. I'm free! I'm free! Well, maybe not entirely. I still like to tease the girls . . but that's only an expression of my feelings of inadequacy and insecurity around women.
Hey, I gotta keep 'em guessing, don't I guys? I mean look what they do to us? I mean, if presented by your wife with the same issue - "When do you prefer that I be ugly" - how far would we get with the answer "Honey, that's up to you"? Noooo. Wrong answer. "Sweeties, in my eyes you are the most beautiful flower in the garden all the time." Right answer.
[edited by: Webwork at 3:31 am (utc) on June 8, 2006]
But yes, she was dancing with glee because Lancelot realized that beauty was only skin deep and that there was more to the witch than her appearance. There was a real live person in there who was "very wise".
He knew she had the intelligence to make her own choice and he was intelligent enough to let her do it!
Question: What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object?
Answer: Infinite inertia.
The paradox of how women and men think may never be solved.
Well, maybe that and . . ;)
My definition of "True Love":
Intimacy which evolves from mutual admiration, respect and appreciation for another human being resulting in a level of commitment and understanding superseding all others.
Any explanation deeper than that would need to be handled by lawman. I'm sure he has wise words to offer. :-P
You say you're looking for someone
Who'll pick you up each time you fall
To gather flowers constantly
An' to come each time you call
A lover for you life an' nothing more
But it ain't me, babe
"True Love" hmmm ...My definition of "True Love":
Intimacy which evolves from mutual admiration, respect and appreciation for another human being resulting in a level of commitment and understanding superseding all others.
Once agin, the word respect comes into the definition.
At this point in my life, I don't really believe that there is an existance of "true love".
"True Love" only happens in fairy tales, in real life, well that is what you get, real life.
I think that if you set yourself up, male or female, to be satisfied only by an ideal, then all you are guaranteed is disappointment.
Disagreements and rifts will happen, and the best that you can do is aim to behave as honourably as you can before during and after (even if you are sure that you can't be caught out, for example) within your limits and hope that that is enough.
That applies both ways. Humans are human.
Thus honesty is NOT always the best policy, but respect for other people in their own right IS.
All IMHO of course, especially as I am a paragon of purity and virtue, natch.
Rgds
Damon
Shame on you! You've failed to be sufficiently PC, and will now be marched off to jail to be lectured to by youghurt-and-hessian-wearing emotional vampires until death...
%-P
Rgds
Damon
I thought we just supposed to laugh at the joke.
LOL lawman ... I did too! But Webwork wound me up when he began to wax philosophical and threatened to chew his arm off with his teeth!
Clearly, Webwork thinks Lancelot was a wuss! ;)
What is the moral of the story?
The moral is that it doesn't matter if a woman is pretty or ugly, smart or dumb. Underneath it all, she's still a . . . . . witch!
(ducks and runs)
(yelling as he's being chased by Liane) --> "Webwork put me up to it!"
My definition of "True Love":Intimacy which evolves from mutual admiration, respect and appreciation for another human being resulting in a level of commitment and understanding superseding all others.
My definition of "True Love"
Intimacy which I can turn on and off like a spigot .. just the way God intended intimacy to be!
Looking for a place to hide;)
Hmmm. Maybe it's just me, and I'm too submissive. :P
