Love De' Feets All?

Once upon a time in a small town in a land far away a little girl forgot to change her socks. Each day she would wear the same old socks until her feet began to stink. The people of the town did not know where the smell was coming from. All the people knew was that something must be done before the whole country began to stink. The sickened peopled sought out help from the King. "Please, Dear King ," the people cried as they held their noses, "Make the smell go away. Our hens have quit laying, the cows will give no milk, the wool upon the lamb has begun to shrivel, the water lies green in the ponds, even the sun will no longer shine, and the wind refuses to blow."

The kind King did not know what to do. He too had grown tired of the terrible and foul odor. And so the kindly King called the wisest of the wise. "What shall we do?" the King cried.

"Clothespins!!" said one rotund and bearded thinker as he thrust his finger in the air with a look of thoughtful certainty.

"No, No," said another black robed thinker. "I say perfume!!, Let us spray the Kingdom in lilac water." The assembled scoffed at such a thought and soon the wisest of the wise were locked in heated argument as the smell continued to grow.

Each day the smell spread as the socks upon the little girl never were changed. Each day she would rise and start her chores without a thought about her socks. At night into bed with socks soaked with sweat she would sleep as the socks would fester and ferment like some evil recipe of a wicked and vengeful witch. No one seemed to realize that the smell grew by the day from deep between the encrusted toes of an otherwise sweet little girl.

The Kingdom never knew such sad and terrible days. The people wept and cried and wondered what had caused this terrible curse. The priests said "Sin! Yes Sin had brought upon the curse just like the plague of toads and flies that tortured the people of Israel."

The astronomers pointed to the stars and said "It is not sin but science. The stars and planets in their course have aligned in such a way as to cause the wind to seep across the land and collect the foul smells of all the earth and swirl them to this place. Let us build a giant windmill and blow the smell away."

But as the priests continued to pray and the astronomers contemplate and the windmill builders build the smell grew worse.

The years passed and the little girl grew into a lovely young lady of simple yet gentle face, with golden locks and eyes the color of a long forgotten blue sky on a winter morning. The Kings only son, the Prince known as Bedevere the Brave, rode through the countryside mourning the day when once the sun shone on their fair countryside. Those lost days when the morning breeze had brought the sweet smell of blooming wildflowers. That day long ago, before this "Age of The Odor," as it was now known. A day when bread smelled sweet and the soft breeze would lift the smoke of a distant fireplace throughout the hills and tempt the mind with visions of a warm hearth and dear home far away.

As he rode sadly through these tormented hills the Prince spied the fair young lady from afar. Never had he seen so simple and yet grand beauty. Her hair swirled gently upon her shoulder like a fur collar of a fine coat of one of the ladies of the King's court. She was a vision of gentility but for her feet. Her feet were in old and clumsy shoes covered by old and tattered socks.

"How shall I capture that fair maidens heart?" he asked the Kings confidant and guide, the old one named Cranston of Coventry.

"Well," pondered the wise old one "Once a prince of old swept away a fair simple maiden by the gift of a glass slipper."

"Yes! " shouted the Prince "Of course , a slipper! A perfect slipper gleaming and gentle like the maiden who shall wear it!"

And so the Prince commissioned the King's cobbler and glass blower to create the perfect crystal slippers, fit for a princess !!

After many long days they were done and the Prince set out to find the fair maiden. With a sweeping bow and a royal blush he presented the simple beauty with the crystal slippers as the final gift of a royal procession of gifts to capture her heart forever.

As she opened the slippers her heart erupted with joy. She had never seen such a wondrous glimmering sight. She stooped to pull her simple old and clumsy shoes from her feet and as she unlaced them the awful curse began to grow the princes royal aides ran for their lives, the horses standing by to pull the royal wagon lurched in horror and sped off across the hills with the helpless wagon bouncing behind. The people cried in woe, the birds fell from the trees and small rabbits were seen asking of the fish how it was to live beneath the wave. Never had the smell been so terrible. One of the crowd screamed in a shock of discovery

"Gad! It is her socks! "

"Her socks!" the people cried. "Burn the socks!"

"Her feet!" the people cried. "Wash the feet!"

Sticks were brought to build the fire. Buckets were brought to wash the feet.

The flames grew as the soapsuds and brushes went to work. The socks were soon burning with a dark and foul smoke swirling in putrid circles in the sky. A blacksmith brought tools to trim the nails and as the flames began to die the strangest thing began to happen. The sun began to shine with fullest beam . Birds flew and sung, Rabbits hopped and no longer dreamed of a day when they would swim. A fair breeze caressed the countryside blending the odors of flowers and bread, perfume and fireplaces. It was a wonderful day ! A day for rejoicing. A day for dreams to come true. A day for love to blossom. It was a day to change ones socks!

And, of course, they all lived happily ever after.

Kidlinks!