Folktale

The Princess’s Journey

Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful princess by the name of Magdalena. When the king decided it was time for his daughter to marry, Princess Magdalena was very distraught. She prided herself on seeking perfection in everything, and she was determined to satisfy herself with no one but the perfect husband. She had already refused an offer of marriage from her childhood friend Prince Edward from the neighboring castle. “How well I know his faults and weaknesses,” she had thought. “He has certainly been my dearest companion for many years, but is he a worthy mate for me? No, indeed!”
If she was indeed to choose a suitable husband, Princess Magdalena decided that she must discover what was the foremost quality of the perfect man. She wished to have a definite set of standards by which to judge the men she met. Her father and those around her were too easily pleased, she thought. Therefore, she could not find the answer to her question within her own castle. And so without saying a word to anyone, she disguised herself as a peasant girl and set out one morning on a quest to find what was the most important characteristic for a husband.
After she had traveled nearly an hour down the dirt road, she passed an ox in a field. “Oh, Ox, what is the most important quality in a man?”
“Ah, Miss,” bellowed the ox, “no one knows better than the beasts of the field that it is most important for a man to be strong.”
The princess thanked the ox and thought about his answer as she continued down the road. As she neared a hut, she noticed a dog waiting for his master on the doorstep.
“Please tell me, dog, what is the most important quality in a man?” she asked.
“The most important quality, Miss, is certainly loyalty,” answered the dog.
She thanked him and continued on her way until she came upon a lion lying in a field. “Oh, Lion,” she said, “What is the most important quality in a man?”
“It is most important,” replied the lion in a deep roar, “that he be courageous.”
She thanked him and moved on, coming to a hyena laughing by the side of the road. “Excuse me, Mr. Hyena, but what is the most important quality in a man?”
“Why, a good sense of humor, of course,” he cackled.
As it grew toward dusk, a fox crept across the road, and she hurried to question him, “What is the most important quality in a man?”
“Ah,” sighed the fox, “it is most critical that a man be intelligent.”
When night came and she could no longer see the road, the princess sat down and leaned back against a broad oak to sleep, weary and discouraged by the broad array of answers she had received. Her mind whirled in confusion, going over her list of attributes in her mind, when she was startled by a loud hoot in the tree above her. Surely, she could trust an owl’s wisdom. Princess Magdalena jumped up to ask him his opinion before he could fly away. This time, however, the animal addressed her first.
“What, may I ask, is a Princess doing out in the countryside all alone?”
Although quite taken aback that the owl had seen through her disguise, she responded, “I must select a husband soon, and no one will please me but a perfect man, and so I am searching far and wide to discover what the most important quality of a man is. Please, Wise Sir Owl, tell me what you believe a perfect man must be?”
“What a silly princess you are,” hooted the owl. “What business have you demanding a perfect man? You should rather be perfecting yourself, for it seems you have much to learn. Do you not see how proud and haughty you are? Do you not know how unpleasant you make yourself by your many demands? If you could indeed find a perfect man, why do you think he should want to marry you?”
Princess Magdalena’s face grew hot with anger. How dare a lowly owl lecture a princess in such a way? Without another word to the owl, she picked up a stone at her feet and hurled it at him as he flew away.
Again she tried to sleep, but now she was too distraught by the owl’s insolent lies and tried to assure herself that she was not haughty but loved by everyone. Yet she could not help recalling in a new light the many times she had scoffed at the imperfections of suitors her father invited to the castle, how cruelly she had scorned beloved Prince Edward’s proposal. Was there truth to the owl’s accusations? Could she really be so arrogant and cruel? Throughout the night, the owl’s wisdom tortured the princess until she wept with shame.
When dawn finally arrived, Princess Magdalena had determined that she was unworthy to be loved by any of her suitors, and she made her way humbly back along the dusty road to the castle. She washed and dressed herself, preparing to ask forgiveness of those she had wronged. Her father had been terribly worried during her absence and informed her that Prince Edward, ever devoted in spite of her refusal, had just returned from searching vainly for her in the countryside. Princess Magdalena hurried to meet Prince Edward.
“I must beg your forgiveness,” she began, “It shames me now to think how I spurned you, believing you were unworthy of me. In my journey, I learned how imperfect I am. I know now that I am proud and cruel to those around me. I laughed at you and your faults, when you are kind and I am only proud. I deserve none of your love. Please forgive me before I retire to my solitary life forever.”
“Dearest Magdalena,” Prince Edward replied, “I certainly forgive you. I have always loved you, despite your haughty ways. Do not talk of solitary life. If you can love me now, pray let us be married, and we will spend our lives striving for perfection together.”
Princess Magdalena fell into his waiting embrace, and he kissed her. The king was overjoyed to hear of his daughter’s choice, and Prince Edward and Princess Magdalena lived happily ever after.