The Prince, His Bride & The Black-Eyed Pea

The Prince, His Bride & The Black-Eyed Pea

 

In a land not too far from where you live, there was a kingdom, which was ruled by a young, tall, dark and kind-hearted Prince. He lived in a great mansion with his mother, who was the Queen Mother and his Old Uncle, who was the brother of his late father. The Prince was old enough to get married and be crowned king. One day, he called the Queen Mother and his Old Uncle, who were his advisers and told them that

he would go to all the kingdoms in the region to find the right woman who would become his queen.

“How will you know when you find the right Princess?” His mother wondered aloud. “I think I’ll just know.” The Prince said.

“Just know?” The Old Uncle asked, alarmed. You cannot just trust that you will know.” Said Old Uncle.

“I will trust my instinct, and I’ll know when I come across the right woman.” The Prince said.

 

The Prince left his kingdom and started searching from one kingdom to another, looking for the right woman to marry. Everywhere he went, the kings and queens welcomed him with open arms. They were very happy that he came to their kingdom to find a princess to marry. In one kingdom, he almost fell in love with a very beautiful princess who had long hair and beautiful large eyes. The Prince asked her to go for a walk with him one evening. They went for a walk along the beach. The stars were shiny and bright. Just as they turned to walk back to the palace, they heard the sound of a baby whale that had been washed ashore.

 

The kind-hearted Prince rushed over to help the baby whale. He took off his shoes and rolled up his pants. He then waded towards the whale. Gently, he rolled her over and was about to nudge her back into the sea when the Princess called out to him. “Oh, don’t worry about that whale. It’s only a fish. I think it will die soon anyway.” The Prince did not stop what he was doing. He humped, and he puffed and kept nudging until he rolled the whale back into the sea. He waited a few minutes and was almost heartbroken when at first, the whale did not move. Then a large wave rose from the sea and almost covered the whale. From where the Prince stood, his face broke into a smile because he saw how the wave revived the whale.

The Prince jumped up and down excitedly at the edge of the sea when he saw that the whale had started swimming and was going deeper and farther into the sea. “I hope you find your

family!” The Prince shouted as he waved goodbye to the whale before turning out of the water toward the Princess who was waiting.

The Prince left the kingdom after that night. He decided that the Princess could not be his Bride because she was not kind to the whale. For several weeks, the Prince scoured many, many more kingdoms. He met many, many princesses. He met tall Princess and short princesses. He met slim ones and curvy ones too. In one kingdom, he was almost certain that he had fallen in love with another beautiful Princess who was the best dancer he had ever seen. They were going back to her father’s palace from a dance in the town hall when they saw a woman and two young children walking along a long tree-lined road. It was a rainy night, and there was a loud roar of thunder and lightning was flashing across the sky.

 

 

“Halt!” Shouted the Prince to the carriage driver. “We must stop and offer this woman and her children a ride.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, your majesty. They’re already wet and will ruin the carriage,” the driver shouted across to the Prince as he drew the carriage to a halt.

“Certainly not.” Said the Princess. “We don’t even know whether are not they are dangerous. Just the other day, a Princess in a Kingdom not very far from here was kidnapped for ransom. “Besides, they don’t look clean,” she said.

“Then please take the Princess back to the palace and come back for me.” The Prince said to the driver as he got out of the carriage, holding his umbrella. He swiftly went over to the woman and the children and held the open umbrella over them to stop the rain from beating them. He waited with them till the driver came back for him.

 

 

“Where are you going?” The Prince asked when the carriage which had gone to drop the Princess came and drew up in front of them.

The rain had stopped, and the woman uncovered her face, which had been hidden by the scarf that she had tried to use to protect herself from the rain. The Prince was struck by how young she looked.

“We are going to the next village. I’m taking my brother and sister home from our farm. Our carriage broke down a few miles further down this road, and my father asked me to send help when we get home. Our village is not very far from here.”

The Prince took them home and helped take back a wheel-wright to help her father, who was stranded with their carriage.

 

 

A few weeks later, the Prince sent a messenger ahead to his kingdom to let his mother and Uncle know that he had found a bride and would be returning with her. Back in the Prince’s kingdom, his Uncle had convinced his mother that the Prince’s Bride had to be put to a test the old way.

“It is the way we have always tested new royal brides in this Kingdom.” Old Uncle said. “Don’t you remember?”

“Oh yes!” Said the Queen Mother smiling. “I had forgotten all about the test! I remember my first night in this palace. It was most uncomfortable.”

“But it worked. Did it not? Who could ever doubt that you were a prim and proper princess after that first night?”

“I know just what to do. I’ll get the servants to prepare a room for the new Bride.” Said Queen Mother.

The Prince arrived with his Bride very late that night. He had travelled a very long way with his new Bride. They were both tired and could only eat a very light supper.

“We are very happy that you have found a bride, but we have to do things properly. We have to test your Bride.” said his Old Uncle after dinner.

“Yes,” said the Queen Mother. “We have to follow the proper tradition. Please come with me, my dear,” she said to the Prince’s Bride. I’ve prepared a room for you to sleep tonight.”

“Tomorrow, I’ll explain everything to you,” The Old Uncle said to the Prince, who looked confused.

“But.. we are already married.” The Prince started to protest.

“Without the proper test, your marriage will not be recognized in this kingdom. Your mother had to pass the same test before her marriage to your father could be officially proclaimed throughout the land.”

“But … “The Prince was going to continue protesting, but his Bride walked over to him and laid her hand over his.

“Dearest, we are both tired and exhausted from the journey. Let’s all go to bed, and we can continue this discussion tomorrow.”

“Very, well.” Said the Prince. He did not notice how his Uncle and mother smiled. They were happy that their plan was working.

The Bride was ushered into the bedroom that had been specially prepared for her.

 

 

“I hope you sleep well, my dear. I asked the servants to make your bed with two of our most comfortable mattresses. Just to be sure you’re comfortable.” The Queen Mother said as she was about to leave the room.

“Thank you very much for being so hospitable. The room looks very nice, and the bed looks comfortable.” The Bride replied as she started settling in. She noticed how the Queen Mother stood for a moment by the door, looking a little guilty.

She then turned away, muttering to herself as she left the room. “It is the way things have always been done. We must not change tradition.”

The next morning, the Bride got up fresh and early. She was met by the Prince at her door. “My dear, I hope you had a pleasant rest after our journey here.” He asked. Even before she could open her mouth, the Queen Mother and Old Uncle rushed over to join them as if they had been waiting for her to come out.

“Well, how did you sleep?” The Uncle asked.

“Not very well at first,”

The Bride answered, holding out her

clenched right fist. She opened it up to reveal some black-eyed peas! “The bed was uncomfortable, so I got up and remade it. I found these between the two mattresses.”

The Queen Mother beamed happily and embraced her.

“You are indeed a well-bred royal princess!” exclaimed the Old Uncle.

“Welcome to the family. You passed the test. Only a prim and proper Princess would feel any lump between those two mattresses.” Added the Queen Mother.

The Prince and his Bride looked at each other and burst into laughter. The Queen Mother and Old Uncle, too, continued to laugh, thinking that the young couple were laughing for the same reason.

“Dear Mother and Uncle, you cannot be more mistaken.”

“I am no princess.” Said the Bride.

“What?” The Queen Mother and Uncle chorused.

The Prince took his Bride’s hand and raised it up proudly.

 

“I present to you, my bride, the kindest and smartest woman that I have ever set eyes on.”

“But surely, she must have some royal connection. Look at her. She is as beautiful as any princess I have seen.” Insisted the Old Uncle.

“And the way she carries herself, surely you must have some royal blood.”

“I almost made the same mistake you’re making when I set out to find myself a bride. I was looking in the wrong places.”

“Were you not looking in other royal palaces?” Asked the Queen Mother.

“I was until I came across my match in every way I could think of. She was standing stranded on a lonely road with her two siblings one rainy night.”

“But if she’s not royalty, how can you call her your match?”

“She is my match because she’s kind, very intelligent and has a mind of her own.”

“These are not things that can be tested by placing peas under a mattress.” The Bride said, looking at her new mother-in-law.

“But, that is the old way.” Old Uncle said.

“That is one of the things that my bride and I are going to change in this kingdom.”

“We will keep only the good, reasonable old traditions and make new ones that will help everyone in the kingdom prosper.” Said the Bride.

The marriage of the Prince and his Bride was proclaimed that day. Together they ruled the kingdom. They did not always live happily ever after, but they took each day as it came working hand in hand to turn the bad days into good ones.

The End