Young King Harshvardhan was imprisoned and sentenced to death by a neighboring King. Instead of killing him, however, the King, moved by Harshvardhan's youth and ideals, offered him freedom in exchange for answering a difficult question.
Harshvardhan would have a year to figure out the answer. If, after a year , he still had no answer, he would be put to death. The question was, What do women really want?
Such a question has perplexed even the most knowledgeable men, and to King Harshvardhan, it seemed an impossible query. But, since it was better than instant death, he accepted the monarch's proposition to have an answer by the year's end.
He returned to his kingdom and began to ask everybody - the princess, the common man, the priests, the wise men and the court jester. He asked everybody, but nobody could give him a satisfactory answer. Many people advised him to consult the old witch for only she would know the answer.
The price would be high. The witch was famous throughout the kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged. The last day of the year arrived and Harshvardhan had no alternative but to talk to the witch.
She agreed to answer his question, but he'd have to accept her price first. The old witch wanted to marry Siddhraj, the most noble ministers in the kingdom and Harshvardhan's closest friend!
Young Harshvardhan was horrified. The witch was a hunchback and hideous, had only a tooth, smelled like sewage, and make obscene noises ..... very unpleasant. He had never encountered such a repugnant creature. He refused to force his friend to marry her and have to endure such a burden.
Siddhraj, upon learning of the proposal, spoke to Harshvardhan. He told him that nothing was too big a sacrifice compared to Harshvardhan's life and the preservation of the kingdom.
Hence, their wedding was proclaimed. The witch then answered Harshvardhan's question thus, "What women really want is to be in charge of their own life."
Everyone instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth and that Harshvardhan's life would be spared. And so it was. The neighboring monarch granted Harshvardhan total freedom.
What a wedding Siddhraj and the witch had! Harshvardhan was torn between relief and anguish. Siddhraj was proper as always, gentle and courteous. The old witch put her worst manners on display, and generally made everyone uncomfortable.
The honeymoon hour approached. Siddhraj, steeling himself for a horrific experience, entered the bedroom. But what a sight awaited him! The most beautiful woman he had ever seen sat before him! The astounded Siddhraj asked what had happened? The beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her when she had 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 which during the night?
What a cruel question! Siddhraj pondered on 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?
What would you do? What Siddhraj chose follows below, but don't read until you've made your own choice.
The noble Siddhraj replied that he would let her choose for herself. Upon hearing this, she announced that would be beautiful all the time, because he had respected her enough to let her be incharge of her own life.
source: Stories from Here and There, Ekalavya Education Foundation - By: Sunil Handa - http://www.eklavya.org/storyhere.html
Harshvardhan would have a year to figure out the answer. If, after a year , he still had no answer, he would be put to death. The question was, What do women really want?
Such a question has perplexed even the most knowledgeable men, and to King Harshvardhan, it seemed an impossible query. But, since it was better than instant death, he accepted the monarch's proposition to have an answer by the year's end.
He returned to his kingdom and began to ask everybody - the princess, the common man, the priests, the wise men and the court jester. He asked everybody, but nobody could give him a satisfactory answer. Many people advised him to consult the old witch for only she would know the answer.
The price would be high. The witch was famous throughout the kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged. The last day of the year arrived and Harshvardhan had no alternative but to talk to the witch.
She agreed to answer his question, but he'd have to accept her price first. The old witch wanted to marry Siddhraj, the most noble ministers in the kingdom and Harshvardhan's closest friend!
Young Harshvardhan was horrified. The witch was a hunchback and hideous, had only a tooth, smelled like sewage, and make obscene noises ..... very unpleasant. He had never encountered such a repugnant creature. He refused to force his friend to marry her and have to endure such a burden.
Siddhraj, upon learning of the proposal, spoke to Harshvardhan. He told him that nothing was too big a sacrifice compared to Harshvardhan's life and the preservation of the kingdom.
Everyone instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth and that Harshvardhan's life would be spared. And so it was. The neighboring monarch granted Harshvardhan total freedom.
What a wedding Siddhraj and the witch had! Harshvardhan was torn between relief and anguish. Siddhraj was proper as always, gentle and courteous. The old witch put her worst manners on display, and generally made everyone uncomfortable.
The honeymoon hour approached. Siddhraj, steeling himself for a horrific experience, entered the bedroom. But what a sight awaited him! The most beautiful woman he had ever seen sat before him! The astounded Siddhraj asked what had happened? The beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her when she had 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 which during the night?
What a cruel question! Siddhraj pondered on 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?
What would you do? What Siddhraj chose follows below, but don't read until you've made your own choice.
The noble Siddhraj replied that he would let her choose for herself. Upon hearing this, she announced that would be beautiful all the time, because he had respected her enough to let her be incharge of her own life.
source: Stories from Here and There, Ekalavya Education Foundation - By: Sunil Handa - http://www.eklavya.org/storyhere.html
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