KING LOCKEDHEART
That night,Meg was led into a magnificent dining room.A feast was
laid there,but the only one who sat at the table was the king with his
little blue bird in its golden cage at his elbow.
The king dismissed the guards aand indicated a chair at his right hand.’Come sit by me,Meg.’
Meg sat very carefully so as not to harm her lovely dress.’Now,Meg,’King Lockedheart said as he took a gold plate and set meat and sugared fruit upon it.’I have a question for you.’
‘What is that,your majesty?’
The king set the plate he had filled with his own hands before her.’I wish to know what love is.’…
Meg looked at the most powerful man in the kingdom.’Your majesty,may I ask why you wish to know what love is?’
The king frowned.’I know what it is to face death in battle.I know about ruling a vast kingdom,about meting out justice and showing mercy,but despite all this,I do not know what love is.Can you tell me?’
Meg thought about his question as she ate.How was she to explain love to a king?At last she looked up and saw the king feeding a date to the little blue bird.
‘Open the cage door.’She said…
King Lockedheart looked bemused.’But if I open the cage door,the bird shall fly.’
‘If you want to learn what love is,you must open the door,’Meg said.
So the king opened the little blue bird’s cage door.Immediately the bird took flight and darted out an open window of the room.
The king looked at Meg with his eyebrow cocked.’I think that all I’ve learned is how to lose a bird.’
‘Is it?’She asked.’What do you feel?’
The king frowned.’Loss.Emptiness.’…
‘What you feel is the sorrow of loss,’Meg said.’What you feel is love.And,’she continued as the little blue bird flew back in the room and lit on the king’s hand,’that is love also.’
‘I don’t understand,’the king said.
‘What do you feel now?’Meg asked.
King Lockedheart frowned as he gently stroked the little bird’s head.’Joy.Happiness.’
‘That is the joy of love.’Meg smiled.’To experience your love for the bird,you must be willing to let her go.And in exchange,the bird displays her love for you by returning.’…
King Lockedheart was very pleased with this demonstration.To reward Meg,he offered to give her anything she asked for – anything at all.
Meg smiled.’I thank you,your majesty,but all I wish for is a little pony and a pack of provisions,for I long to see what the wide world is like.’
The king frowned at this,for he had become rather fond of Meg.But no matter how he argued,Meg was quite firm:she would leave on the morrow to go exploring.
This put the king into a foul mood,and he was very curt with her for the rest of the wonderful meal.Meg for her part was cheerful,ignoring the king’s more sarcastic comments.
And at the end of the evening,she left the king sitting all alone in his dining room.
Now,a year passed and during that time,King Lockedheart grew more and more morose.One by one,he dismissed his courtiers until only a very few wise men remained.He grew weary of his beautiful concubines and he sent them,weeping,away.
He sat alone in his great golden throne room on his velvet throne and wondered why he felt this way.
All that was left to keep him company was his little blue bird,but a bird cannot talk,or laugh,or smile.
One day,a quiet knock came at the throne room doors,and when the king called for entry,who should come in but Meg the maid?
Well,the king sat up straight,but soon his broad shoulders slumped again and he looked a bit sulky.
‘Where have you been?’
‘Oh,hither and yon and over all the wide world.’Meg said cheerfully.’I had a wonderful time.’
‘Then I suppose you’ll be going again?’The king asked.
‘Perhaps,perhaps not,’Meg said as she sat at his feet.’How did you feel when I was gone?’
‘Lost,empty,’the king said.
‘And now that I’ve returned?’
‘Happy.Joyful,’King Lockedheart growled as he scooped Meg into his lap and kissed her soundly.
‘Do you know what this is?’Meg asked in a whisper.
‘Love,’the king replied.’This is love,true and eternal,my sweet Meg.Will you be my queen?k
‘Oh,yes,’Meg said.’For I’ve adored you since first you had me dragged before you.We’ll be married and we’ll live happily ever after.’
And so they did!
The king dismissed the guards aand indicated a chair at his right hand.’Come sit by me,Meg.’
Meg sat very carefully so as not to harm her lovely dress.’Now,Meg,’King Lockedheart said as he took a gold plate and set meat and sugared fruit upon it.’I have a question for you.’
‘What is that,your majesty?’
The king set the plate he had filled with his own hands before her.’I wish to know what love is.’…
Meg looked at the most powerful man in the kingdom.’Your majesty,may I ask why you wish to know what love is?’
The king frowned.’I know what it is to face death in battle.I know about ruling a vast kingdom,about meting out justice and showing mercy,but despite all this,I do not know what love is.Can you tell me?’
Meg thought about his question as she ate.How was she to explain love to a king?At last she looked up and saw the king feeding a date to the little blue bird.
‘Open the cage door.’She said…
King Lockedheart looked bemused.’But if I open the cage door,the bird shall fly.’
‘If you want to learn what love is,you must open the door,’Meg said.
So the king opened the little blue bird’s cage door.Immediately the bird took flight and darted out an open window of the room.
The king looked at Meg with his eyebrow cocked.’I think that all I’ve learned is how to lose a bird.’
‘Is it?’She asked.’What do you feel?’
The king frowned.’Loss.Emptiness.’…
‘What you feel is the sorrow of loss,’Meg said.’What you feel is love.And,’she continued as the little blue bird flew back in the room and lit on the king’s hand,’that is love also.’
‘I don’t understand,’the king said.
‘What do you feel now?’Meg asked.
King Lockedheart frowned as he gently stroked the little bird’s head.’Joy.Happiness.’
‘That is the joy of love.’Meg smiled.’To experience your love for the bird,you must be willing to let her go.And in exchange,the bird displays her love for you by returning.’…
King Lockedheart was very pleased with this demonstration.To reward Meg,he offered to give her anything she asked for – anything at all.
Meg smiled.’I thank you,your majesty,but all I wish for is a little pony and a pack of provisions,for I long to see what the wide world is like.’
The king frowned at this,for he had become rather fond of Meg.But no matter how he argued,Meg was quite firm:she would leave on the morrow to go exploring.
This put the king into a foul mood,and he was very curt with her for the rest of the wonderful meal.Meg for her part was cheerful,ignoring the king’s more sarcastic comments.
And at the end of the evening,she left the king sitting all alone in his dining room.
Now,a year passed and during that time,King Lockedheart grew more and more morose.One by one,he dismissed his courtiers until only a very few wise men remained.He grew weary of his beautiful concubines and he sent them,weeping,away.
He sat alone in his great golden throne room on his velvet throne and wondered why he felt this way.
All that was left to keep him company was his little blue bird,but a bird cannot talk,or laugh,or smile.
One day,a quiet knock came at the throne room doors,and when the king called for entry,who should come in but Meg the maid?
Well,the king sat up straight,but soon his broad shoulders slumped again and he looked a bit sulky.
‘Where have you been?’
‘Oh,hither and yon and over all the wide world.’Meg said cheerfully.’I had a wonderful time.’
‘Then I suppose you’ll be going again?’The king asked.
‘Perhaps,perhaps not,’Meg said as she sat at his feet.’How did you feel when I was gone?’
‘Lost,empty,’the king said.
‘And now that I’ve returned?’
‘Happy.Joyful,’King Lockedheart growled as he scooped Meg into his lap and kissed her soundly.
‘Do you know what this is?’Meg asked in a whisper.
‘Love,’the king replied.’This is love,true and eternal,my sweet Meg.Will you be my queen?k
‘Oh,yes,’Meg said.’For I’ve adored you since first you had me dragged before you.We’ll be married and we’ll live happily ever after.’
And so they did!
