A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH-A LOVE STORY

 

Hello my dear folks, far and wide. The story I am going to tell you is a love story about a beautiful little princess named Tianna of the kingdom of Playfulness and a charming prince named Eric of the empire Mirth. Prince Eric was good natured as he was handsome and a diamond in the rough. He was in the prime of his youth and daydreamed about a perfect match, a girl who would be his Juliet.

Princess Tianna lived far away in a beautiful castle where the robins that twittered gaily and butterflies that flittered by, never ceased to amuse the princess. She too yearned to find a gallant suitor, a Romeo of her dreams.

One day, the sweet princess Tianna sauntered into her garden contemplating of all the suitors she had refused to marry for no one had fit the bill. She sat all by herself on a little wooden bench by the bower. With tears trickling down her rosy cheeks, she thought to herself, “How will I ever find the young man, my heart truly desires.”

 As she sat alone and pondered by herself, there suddenly appeared a little matchmaker leprechaun, short, fat and pudgy with emerald green eyes. And since leprechauns possess a trunk full of treasure hidden at the end of the rainbow, with a wink of an eye, he chortled with delight and said to her, “Hoo la la lah! My dear! What precious gem can I offer to make you happy as a lark? Tell me and I will give thee that you desire”

“Well”, said the poor princess Tianna, “I want a precious stone as precious as can be.”

 “Whatever could you mean?” asked, the machiavelli sprite.

 The sweet princess Tianna retorted, “Bring me a diamond as beautiful as can be and as rough-hewn a diamond that no princess has ever set her eyes upon. In other words I want a prince as handsome as that diamond. He should be a diamond in the rough, and that and that only would truly satisfy my heart’s desire.”

The green eyed Leprechaun Mr. Briggs with a wink chortled in delight once again and disappeared. And as you know Leprechauns practice magic so also he knew of finding young handsome suitors for pretty little princesses. He thus knew of the handsome prince Eric who lived far beyond the other side of the kingdom.

Before the leprechaun let Prince Eric meet Princess Tianna, he wanted to test the two lovers to see if the prince was really rough hewn a diamond and the Princess Tianna true to her word.

So the plump leprechaun appeared to Prince Eric, who was busy sparkling his ruby red dagger and said to him, “Hello my dear Prince, I believe you are keen on finding a woman who you truly would love. There is a certain girl in the land of Playfulness who would indeed fit your preference.”

“I will let no moss slip under your foot and give you a chance to meet her but you shall have to dress as a dark knight in vain. I will colour your face as black as coal and set you a date with the young maiden of Playfulness.”

“Her poor plight indeed frightens off many eligible suitors. So test her as you will to see if you find her fit to be your princess.”

The prince was happy as happy as could be and said to him, “I will do as you say, be gone and tarry fast Mr. Briggs to set a date, for if she truly loves me then the colour I wear should be of no consequence in such matters of the heart. She would love me for what I truly am……….a diamond in the rough. Be gone and hurry for I am eager to meet this damsel in distress. Be gone!”

Now Mr. Briggs the leprechaun approached Princess Tianna a day before the prince would come to meet her. And for he wanted to test them both, he chortled with delight, as he winked and sang this song to the princess………….

“Little lady of delight

Your fair face shows no spite

A match for you, I have set my eyes upon

However you shall dress as a poor wretched maid

With tattered rags and poppy lace

Who no one would wish to marry…..

But if he be true a diamond

The plight of your poverty would ne’er scare him

And surely would make you his blushing bride”

The princess Tianna agreed to test the prince, to see if his love proved true, to accept her as a poor little wretched maid, who no one would marry.

So said she to the leprechaun Briggs playfully,

“Go hence from Playfulness to Kingdom Mirth

And invite such a diamond in the rough

To meet a poor scarlet maid blush crimson red

If he proves worthy of my love

I will surely be his blushing bride and his dutiful wife”

That night the poor prince Eric and princess Tianna, could sleep not a wink, as they had doubts of the outcome of their fateful date, the matchmaker leprechaun had intended to test………….. The true intentions of their affections!

Before the prince could arrive as black as coal, princess Tianna dressed as a poor shabby maid. Her beautiful wanton ringlets were left loose and black oils massaged so that it looked untidy. Her house was that of the poor gatekeeper, as the poor old man would love to do as the princess bade him.

Princess Tianna sang to herself,

“Of all the shabbiness, poverty and shame,

I detest somebody who would do me wrong

 To break my heart into two

If he thinks me a poor beggar maiden be,

But if in spite of my poverty

Accepts me as I was ……. humble a maid

Then indeed he shall never regret

And shall be my rarest diamond

With a heart pure, spotless and true”

Whilst Prince Eric rode his white horse black a knight singing,

“Colour me black as night

It is true love I seek to find

Love is blind folks often say

So if she loves me in spite of my charcoal tan

I shall be her diamond bright

And she shall be my wife”

The chessboard of the love skit was thus set, on the chequered chessboard, playmate the Knight in silver armour and the maid, Princess Tianna!

When Prince Eric saw this pretty maiden sitting alone, dressed all torn and raggedy, he fell in love with her at first sight. The princess quiet taken aback by his black as coal appearance, wondered to herself if he would prove to be worthy of her love and said to him,

“A Valiant knight as black as coal

What brings you here to the kingdom of Playfulness?

To see a poor maiden, quite miserable a damsel,

Who no one would ever marry

Because of no monies

My father does posses”

The prince like a shadow of the night replied

“Black indeed is the colour of the night

And so also of charcoal

But if you love a diamond that shines bright

I shall indeed be your knight in shining armour”

The princess loved the darling colour of the night and kissed the charcoal painted face by the moon light.

“Will you be my princess?” asked Prince Eric

“For true loves sake, yes, for indeed I find no other jewel that sparkles in the night as bright with full splendour and might!”

“A diamond in the rough, my valiant knight!” retorted fair princess Tianna.

 And thus Eric the valiant knight kissed princess Tianna and a long and happy night ended the lovers tryst, with the colour black and white.

As for the playful little Mr. Briggs the leprechaun, who played matchmaker packed his trunk full of gems and disappeared to the other side of the rainbow’s end.