The Mysterious Vase

By: Mana Moshkforoush, Gr. 8

      

Once upon a time, there was a land ruled by a very cruel and heartless king. The king had a daughter who seemed too perfect to be human. As soon as she walked into a room, everyone was silenced, awed by her mysterious beauty. As she carried herself, pale and slender, gracefully and elegantly she seemed like a queen, high and regal, with a strange air of mystery about her. She had dark, dark wavy hair, with strikingly pale blue eyes, blood-red plump lips, with what looked like a natural rose blush, brushed across her pale and lightly freckled face, and this porcelain face, that seems, if anyone had tried to hit it, would break into a million pieces.

The king was a man who took pleasure in scenes of death and one who could not easily be entertained unless there was violence involved. One day there was a ball at the palace. The king was watching his daughter and could see how the males in the room were mesmerized by her elegance and beauty. 

This gave him an amusing idea. 

The next day, the king had a very important announcement for the people of his country. There was going to be a contest where a vase would be hidden in the pool of the palace, the person who could swim to the bottom of the pool and bring back the vase could have his daughter’s hand in marriage. If one dove to the bottom of the pool and came back without the vase, he would be beheaded. 

It seemed like a very easy task, and so It only took days for all the men in the country to head to the palace to try and win the princess’s hand in marriage. Skilled and competitive swimmers from all over the country and the countries surrounding it confidently made their way to the palace. The swimmers each examined the pool before the contest began. Each one could see the refraction form of the vase in the pool. The contest began. 

One after the other, the men, skilled and non-skilled, dove to the bottom of the pool where they could see the vase, and after a few seconds swam furiously back to the surface without the vase. All of their excuses would be that they could clearly see the vase before they dove into the pool, but right when they entered into the clear blue waters there was nothing to be found. It was like the vase would suddenly disappear in front of their eyes. Too bad it would be their last time telling this tale, for each one was soon beheaded after failing. 

Many were scared but they would take a glance at the beautiful princess and would get fooled. The contest went on for days and nights for there were so many men in desire of the princess. There was one young man who was waiting for his turn to dive into the mysterious pool. After constantly hearing about all the men who had been killed, he left the palace and made his way to his father’s house. 

The young man’s father was a very very wise man. After listening to his son’s problems, he thought to himself and then understood how to get the vase, he then told his son and together, they came up with an idea. 

The next day the young man went back to the palace and waited until it was finally his turn. The young man went up to the king and asked him, "Do you solemnly promise to give me your daughter’s hand in marriage if I bring you the vase that is seen in the water?"
 

The king answered with a smirk on his face, "Yes, you have my word for it." The young man then turned back and walked towards the pool. He did not stop there, he passed the pool and came to a stop in front of the ancient tree beside it. He started climbing up the tree and disappeared into the leafy branches of the tree. After a few seconds he climbed back down with the vase. 

The huge crowd was in complete shock of what they had just witnessed. The young man explained to the startled crowd that the vase they could see in the water was only a reflection, and that the actual vase was hidden in the branches of the tree. The young man then took the vase to the king and placed it down in front of him. The king was still stunned and speechless. Finally the king asked the young man how he figured it out. The young man confessed that it was not his own wit but that of his father. The king then announced the young man soon to be his son in law and promised to give the young man’s father one of the most important positions in his council. 

          What I’m trying to say through this story, is that we should never let a thing's intrinsic quality or worth escape us. Look beneath the surface, go beyond appearances to try to perceive the true nature of something, do not get fooled by superficial glitter or plainness. 

"There are two sorts of curiosity - the momentary and the permanent. The momentary is concerned with the odd appearance on the surface of things. The permanent is attracted by the amazing and consecutive life that flows on beneath the surface of things."

~Robert Wilson Lynd