Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Part 2 -- The King's Secret"

The King learned he could trust the apprentice to keep his secret and soon the young man had his own castle, and a wife and children.  it was a good life.  But the apprentice felt the secret gnaw at him. He hated keeping anything from his lovely wife but he knew he couldn’t tell her. 

One day the apprentice rode out into the country, far from any other homes or farms.  When he found the most desolate area he got off his horse, dug a deep, deep pit, and got into the pit.  He lowered his head to the earth and said very softly, “the King has donkey ears, the King has donkey ears, the King has donkey ears.”

Then he got out of the pit, filled in the hole, and rode home.  He felt so much lighter!  He felt so great that he took his wife out dancing where he tripped on a piece of fruit and fell into the moat and died. 

The King was very very sad to lose his friend and to lose the best barber he ever had.  Instead of searching for someone else, he decided he would cut his hair himself.  Since he never took off his hat, who would know the difference? 

Some years later, the King heard laughter from a courtyard and beautiful flute music.  The King listened to the tune.  Underneath the sound was another low hum that whistled, “the King has donkey ears, the King has donkey ears, the King has donkey ears.”

“What is the meaning of this?” bellowed the King!

Soon the King learned of a magic tree, far from the Kingdom.  It had lovely wood, perfect for flutes, so some shepherds had made flutes, keeping some and selling the rest.  Throughout the Kingdom these flutes announced the King’s secret
-- housed in a tree
that grew from a hole
which heard a secret
spoken years ago. 

© 2020 Laura Lewis-Barr all rights reserved No more to read on this post. Even though Blogger says

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