Thursday, July 22, 2010

The Salt Princess



As a kid i read this in the book of fairy tales a story which is a variation on the King Lear theme. It is called "Without Salt."
An aged king has three daughters, and decides to divide his kingdom among them based on how much they love him. Daughter 1 says she loves him more than her finest silk gowns. Pleased, he gives her 1/3 of his kingdom. Daughter 2 says she loves him more than her diamond bracelets, her ruby rings, her golden crown. Even more pleased, he gives her 1/3 of his kingdom.

Daughter 3 is his youngest and favorite daughter. She says, "Father, I love you more than I love salt."

The king pitches a fit. "Salt? You love me only as much as you love
salt? Fine! Salt is all you love, then salt is all you shall have!" He loads her up with a sack of salt on her back and gives her the boot.

She wanders to another kingdom and finds work as a scullery maid in a castle. Because she is so good and beautiful and because it's a fairy tale, the prince falls in love with her and asks her to marry him. Meanwhile, the two shallow sisters back home split the kingdom between themselves and throw their lame duck dad out on his ass. Now a homeless beggar, the former king wanders to the other kingdom and happens to stumble in just as the wedding celebration, open to all, is getting underway.

His daughter recognizes him right away, and sneaks off to the kitchen. She orders the entire wedding feast be prepared....without salt.

Everyone sits down to feast. Soon they're gagging and spitting and grumbling. "There's something wrong with this soup!" "This soup is terrible!" "It's so bland!"

As soon as the beggar king tastes his soup, he realizes what is missing, and tears well up in his eyes. Then he realizes how cruel he was to his poor youngest daughter, who really did love him best...as much as she loved salt.

Fortunately, she's lurking nearby. She explains that her love for him was like salt: although invisible, it was ever-present, an underlying essential ingredient, and without it her life lacked all savor and joy. She could no more imagine living without love for him than she could imagine eating soup without salt.

Forgiveness all around, and the bad soup is thrown out and the poor servants forced to remake the entire wedding feast, but this time with salt, so it may be enjoyed.

it's a perfect story... now just wondering what am i trying to drive in here... ;P