Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Princess Elizabeth's Freckles


It was when Queen Elizabeth was a young woman and a princess, when a noble little French girl saw her at court. The little girl thought that Elizabeth was beautiful. The little girl made her way across the room and curtsied at the princess. She asked, “Please Ma'am, what is the secret of your beauty?”

The young Elizabeth laughed and said, “It is due to my freckles.”

The little girl was pulled away by her parents and they left court.


As the little girl grew up, she looked in the mirror and prayed for freckles every day. But as she grew from girl to woman, she grew sad that her freckles did not happen.

Finally, her parents saw that she grew sad everyday that passed. So, her parents decided to declare that whatever man could give their daughter Elizabeth's freckles and make her happy could have her hand in marriage.

Many suitors came with make-up, potions, and promises but none of them could give their daughter Elizabeth's freckles.

One day a young man saw the woman who wanted Elizabeth's freckles. He thought that she was very beautiful exactly the way she was. But he knew about her parents and their declaration. He didn't know anything about how to give this woman freckles. He was also poor and could not afford to pay a wise man for advice. He knew that make-up and potions did not work either. So, he decided to go to the source.

He petitioned to visit Elizabeth, who was now locked in the London tower. He got to see her and when he did, he told her the story of the girl and his love. Then he asked, “How can the secret of your beauty be freckles?”

Elizabeth laughed again and said, “Bring me a bowl of Lentils everyday for a year, cook them just how I say, and I will give you my true secret of beauty.”

The young man agreed. He got a job as a cook.. He learned the recipe of Elizabeth and cooked lentils everyday. And everyday, he brought a bowl to Elizabeth. Almost two months went by, when Elizabeth found out she was to be moved out of the tower of London and go to live at Woodstock Manor. 

The young man brought Elizabeth her bowl of lentils and she told him that she was to move away from the tower. She excused him from the agreement that they had made. And she said, “Deliver this letter I have written to your beloved and also make her a bowl of lentils I have taught you how to make. If you do this, she will marry you.”

The French young man went back home. He made a bowl of lentils and delivered it and the letter to the young woman. When she opened the letter, read it, and laughed very loud. She ate the bowl of lentils. Her parents and the young man saw her laughing and smiling, they asked her what did the letter say?

The young woman showed them the letter and on it was written, “In England, Lentils are called freckles.”

Everyone was amazed. The young man married the woman and everyday they ate one bowl of lentils.


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