《亚瑟王和丑女人》

年轻的亚瑟国王被邻国君主“魔王”伏击抓获。魔王因亚瑟年轻有志不杀他，魔王对亚瑟说，只要你能答出一个非常难的问题，我可以饶你一命。他给亚瑟王一年的时间思考这个问题，如果时间到期还拿不出答案，亚瑟王就会被处死。

魔王的问题 "女人真正想要的是什么?"

这问题连最有见识的人都会困惑不解，何况年轻的亚瑟，对亚瑟这问题根本是无法回答的，但拖一年总比立刻被杀死要好得多，于是亚瑟接受了魔王的命题。

亚瑟回到自己的国家，立刻开始向每个人征求答案：公主、 祭司、 智者、甚至宫廷小丑…。他问了每一个人，但没有人能给他一个满意的答案。有人告诉他，只有一个人知道问题的答案，她叫“丑女人”，可是“丑女人”提供答案的价格非常高。

一直快要到过年的一天，亚瑟没有别的办法，于是他怀着忧郁的心情走进森林，找到了丑女人。丑女人告诉亚瑟她知道问题的答案，但亚瑟必须首先接受她的交换条件。

条件是她要和亚瑟的密友–––最有名的圆桌武士–––兰斯洛特爵士结婚。

亚瑟王惊骇了，丑女人驼背、丑陋不堪、只有一只牙、身上散发水沟般难闻的气味，而且经常发出猥亵的声音。亚瑟从没有见过如此可怕的怪物。

对亚瑟这个条件太苛刻了，他不能强迫好友兰斯洛特娶这样的一个女人，可是，兰斯洛特听到这条件后却说，没有什么比拯救亚瑟的命和保留圆桌更重要，所以他很愿意娶丑女人为妻。

条件被双方接受了，丑女人于是回答了亚瑟的问题。她说：女人真正想要的，是主宰自己的命运。 话一说出来，国度里的每一个人立刻知道，这丑女人说出了真理，这是正确的答案。亚瑟王肯定会被免死。

就这样，魔王还了亚瑟的自由，而兰斯洛特和丑女人也结了婚。

新婚之夜到来，兰斯洛特必须面对可怕的夜晚。他心怀恐惧，慢慢地走进新房。... ... 

是怎样的景象在等待着他呢?

等着他的是出乎意料的景象：一个他从没见过的美丽少女正躺在婚床上!

惊呆的兰斯洛特问，这到底是怎么回事啊?

美女回答，“兰斯洛特爵士，当我丑的时候你对我这么好，今后我只一半时间显出丑陋可怕的一面，另一半时间我将是个美丽的女人。爵士，你想要我白天还是夜晚美丽呢?”

这是多么残酷的问题呀! 兰斯洛特开始思考他的困境：选择白天向朋友们炫耀美丽的妻子，夜晚屋子里却单独面对又老又丑、幽灵般的女巫呢? 还是选择白天四周展现丑陋的老婆，而晚上与美丽的她共度甜蜜的时刻?

如果你是兰斯洛特，你会怎样选择呢?

下面是兰斯洛特爵士的选择 …

在看答案之前，你先来为自己选择吧。

崇高的兰斯洛特爵士做了选择，他对美丽的新娘说，“既然你说‘女人最想要的是主宰自己的命运’，那就由你自己决定吧。”

听到了这句话，丑女人回答，“兰斯洛特，你真是个好人，从今以后，我将永远只展现美丽的一面。”

朋友猜一猜，这个故事的寓意是什么?

KING ARTHUR AND THE OLD AND UGLY WOMAN

Young 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 his 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 everyone: the princess, the priests, the wise men and even the court jester. He spoke with everyone, but no one could give him a satisfactory answer.

Many people advised him to consult the old ugly woman, for only she would have the answer. But the price would be high; as the woman was famous throughout the kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged.

The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no choice but to talk to the old woman. She agreed to answer the question, but he would have to agree to her price first.

The old ugly woman wanted to marry Sir Lancelot, the most noble 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 in all his life.

He refused to force his friend to marry her and endure such a terrible burden; but Lancelot, learning of the proposal, spoke with Arthur.

He said nothing was too big of a sacrifice compared to Arthur's life and the preservation of the Round Table.

Hence, a wedding was proclaimed and the woman answered Arthur's question thus:

What a woman really wants, she answered....is to be in charge of her own life.

Everyone in the kingdom instantly knew that the woman had uttered a great truth and that Arthur's life would be spared.

And so it was, the neighboring monarch granted Arthur his freedom and Lancelot and the ugly woman had a wonderful wedding.

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 on the bed. The astounded Lancelot asked what had happened.

The young beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her when she appeared ugly, she would henceforth, be her horrible deformed self only half the time and the beautiful maiden the other half.

Which would he prefer? Beautiful during the day....or night?

Lancelot pondered the predicament. During the day, a beautiful woman to show off to his friends, but at night, in the privacy of his castle, an old ugly woman?

Or, would he prefer having a hideous woman during the day, but by night, a beautiful woman for him to enjoy wondrous intimate moments?

What would YOU do?

What Lancelot chose is below.

BUT....make YOUR choice before you scroll down below.

NOW… the answer:

Noble Lancelot said that he would allow HER to make the choice 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.

Now.... what is the moral to this story?