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 youthful happiness. So he offered him freedom, as long as he could answer a very difficult question. Arthur, would have a year to figure out the answer. If, after a year, he still had no answer, he would be killed.
The question was: What do women really want? Such a question would have perplexed even the most knowledgeable man, and, to young Arthur, it seemed an impossible query. Since it was better than death, however, he accepted the monarch's proposition to have an answer by year's end.
He returned to his kingdom and began to poll everybody; the princess, the prostitutes, priests, the wise men, and the court jester. In all, he spoke with everyone but no one could give him a satisfactory answer. What most people did tell him was to consult the old witch, as only she would know the answer. The price would be high as the witch was famous for the exorbitant prices she charged.
The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no alternative but to talk to the witch. She agreed to answer his question, but he'd have to accept her price; the old witch wanted to marry Gawain, the most noble of the Knights of the Round table and Arthur's closest friend! Young Arthur was horrified, she was hunchbacked and awfully hideous, had only one tooth, smelled like a sewer and often made obscene noises. He had never run across such a repugnant creature. He refused to force his friend to marry her and to have to endure such a burden.
Gawain upon learning of the proposal, spoke with Arthur. He told him that nothing was too big a sacrifice compared to Arthur's life and the preservation of the Round table. Hence, their wedding was proclaimed, and the witch answered Arthur's question.
What a woman really wants is to be able to be in charge of her own life.
Everyone instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth and that Arthur's life would be spared. And so it went. The neighboring monarch spared Arthur's life and granted him total freedom.
What a wedding Gawain and the witch had! Arthur was torn between relief and anguish. Gawain was proper as always, gentle and courteous. The old witch put her worst manners on display. She ate with her hands, belched and farted, and made everyone uncomfortable. The wedding night approached: Gawain, steeling himself for a horrific night, entered the bedroom. What a sight awaited! The most beautiful woman he'd ever seen lay before him! Gawain was astounded and asked what had happened.
The beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her when she'd been a witch, half the time she would be her horrible, deformed self. And the other half, she would be her beautiful maiden self. Which would,he want her to be during the day and which during the night? What a cruel question! Gawain began to think of his predicament.
During the day a beautiful woman to show off to his friends, but at night, in the privacy of his home, an old spooky witch? Or would he prefer having by day a hideous witch, but by night a beautiful woman to enjoy many intimate moments.
What would you do?
What Gawain chose follows below, but don't read until you've
made
your
own
choice.
Noble Gawain replied that he would let her choose for herself.
Upon hearing this, she announced that she would be beautiful all the time, because he had respected her and had let her be in charge of her own life.
What is the moral of the story?
The moral is that it doesn't matter if a woman is pretty or ugly, smart or dumb. Underneath it all, she's still a . . . . . witch!!!
年輕的亞瑟王遭到鄰國國王伏擊，受到監禁。鄰國國王原本要殺他，但被他青春的快樂所感動。他提出，只要亞瑟能回答一個難題，就還他自由。亞瑟將有一年的時間找出答案。如果一年后他還沒有答案，就將被處死。
那個問題是：女人真正想要的是什么？這個問題有可能難倒最有智慧的男人，在年輕的亞瑟看來，這似乎是個不可能有答案的難題。不管怎么樣，這總比死要好，于是，他接受了國王年底交出答案的提議。
他回到自己的王國，開始向所有人征求答案，從公主，娼妓，牧師，哲人到宮廷弄臣。總之，他找所有人談話，但沒人能給他滿意的答案。人們說的最多的是讓他去請教老巫婆，因為只有她知道答案。但是，代價會很高，老巫婆正是因為要價過高而出名。
一轉眼年末最后一天到了，亞瑟還是沒有找到答案，只好去找巫婆談。她同意回答這個問題，但是，他必須接受她的要價：老巫婆想嫁給加文，圓桌騎士團最高尚的騎士，亞瑟最親密的朋友！年輕的亞瑟王很難過，她是個丑得可怕的駝子，只有一顆牙齒，氣味像陰溝的味道一樣，還經常發出令人厭惡的聲音。他從沒見過這么讓人惡心的生物。他不愿強迫朋友娶她，不愿讓朋友承受如此的負擔。
加文知道了這個提議后，找到亞瑟，對他說，與亞瑟的生命和保全圓桌騎士團相比，多大的犧牲都不為過。因此，公布了他們的結婚典禮，老巫婆也回答了亞瑟的問題。
女人真正想要的是能夠主宰自己的命運。
所有人瞬間明白了，巫婆說出了一個偉大的真理，亞瑟有救了。果然不出所料，鄰國國王赦免了亞瑟，并同意給他完全的自由。
加文和巫婆舉辦了什么樣的婚禮啊！亞瑟的心撕裂了，既為獲得自由感到輕松，也為朋友感到極度的痛苦。加文一如既往，舉止得體，溫文爾雅。老巫婆卻露出了她最丑陋的儀態。她用手抓東西吃，又放屁，又打嗝，讓所有人都感到不舒服。洞房之夜到了：加文咬牙準備度過一個可怕的夜晚，他進了臥室。等待他的是什么景象啊！他見過的最漂亮的女子躺在他的面前！加文驚呆了，問發生了什么事。
漂亮女子回答道，由于她是女巫時他對她很好，所以將有一半時間，她顯現出可怕丑陋的形象，另一半時間，她會呈現出美麗淑女的形象。他希望她白天什么樣，晚上什么樣？多么殘忍的問題！加文開始考慮自己的尷尬處境。
白天，在朋友面前炫耀一位美麗的女人，而晚上，在自己私秘的家里，出現一個幽靈般的巫婆？或者，他寧愿白天擁有一個可怕的巫婆，而晚上，由一位美麗的女子相伴，時刻享受親密溫馨。
你會怎么做？
加文的選擇就在下面，不過，先不要看，直到你做出自己的選擇
高尚的加文回答道，他希望讓她自己做出選擇。
聽到回答，她宣布說她愿意一直美麗，因為他尊重了她的意愿，讓她主宰了自己的命運。
這個故事寓意何在呢？
其寓意在于，無論一個女人美麗還是丑陋，機靈還是愚蠢。在一切偽裝之下，她始終是個……迷人的女巫！！！
更多信息請查看英語美文寫作
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