Part 9 (1/2)
Within seconds the dwarfs' true ident.i.ties were explained to her. Snow White had only to kiss the lips of any dwarf of her choosing to free him, if only temporarily, from the evil spell. How Snow White rejoiced to hear this! And yet, she once again wondered how she would be able to choose one over the other. In examining each of their faces, she could clearly see that they were all equally devoted to her.
”I cannot choose between you, my dearest princes,” she said to the dwarfs. ”How could I?”
The dwarfs glanced at each other. They had never denied her anything she wished, and they could not do so now.
”You may see all your princes again if that is what you wish, Snow White,” Doc told her kindly. ”It is entirely up to you.”
Snow White approached Doc then and, closing her eyes, gently kissed his lips. She opened her eyes to see her beautiful blond gentle prince standing before her. Then she went to where Grumpy stood and kissed his lips. There stood her dark, rougher prince. A tingle went through her as she kissed one dwarf after another and discovered their true ident.i.ties. She led the princes to the bedroom and allowed them to slowly remove her clothing. She was shaking with desire as she stood naked before her seven princely lovers. She moved into the circle of princes and allowed herself to be drowned in pleasure.
Night after night Snow White spent with the seven princes, and time pa.s.sed quickly by. Now and then word would come to her from the castle of the queen, but this did not concern Snow White, for she was convinced that the dwarfs would keep all harm from her.
One day, a servant came to deliver a message from the queen, who now claimed to have much remorse and distress over the past injustices done to Snow White. The servant presented Snow White with a gift from the queen, to prove her change of heart. But this servant had been fooled by the queen, for she still wished for Snow White's death.
Snow White accepted the gift with misgivings. She did not question the dubious nature of the queen's offering, as she should have, but rather, was frightened by the prospect of leaving her handsome princes, should the queen demand that Snow White return to the castle.
Thoughtfully, Snow White opened the queen's gift. She started with delight when she saw the beautiful silk corset within. Thinking only of her princes and how they would react when they beheld her in the exotic little frippery, she rushed to try it on. But the moment it touched her skin, the corset, which was cursed by an evil spell, suddenly began to close in around her body, tightening of its own accord until Snow White could no longer draw a single breath. She fell to the floor in a swoon, and remained there, still as death.
When the seven dwarfs returned to the cottage later that day, they found Snow White where she had fallen, seemingly dead. Overcome with grief, the dwarfs laid Snow White upon one of the beds, and then set out to build her a beautiful coffin of carved mahogany. The coffin took many days to finish, but at last, when the time came to bury her, she still looked so beautiful and full of life that none of them could bear to close the lid. They made her another coffin of gla.s.s, and into this they placed Snow White. Every day without fail the dwarfs visited her to pay homage, gazing upon her rapturously and grieving miserably for their untimely loss.
Several months pa.s.sed until, one day, the queen truly did repent of her unkindness to Snow White. She sent another servant into the woods with instructions to cut the stays of Snow White's corset and set her free from the evil spell.
But this servant was unfamiliar with the forest and the cottage of the dwarfs and, after much meandering in and around the area, he became lost. Afraid to return to the queen without accomplis.h.i.+ng his mission, he sat down under a tree to contemplate the matter. By and by, a handsome prince rode through on his white horse.
The servant flagged down the prince to beg his a.s.sistance in the errand of the queen and, as princes are known to ride through forests for opportunities just like this, the prince enthusiastically agreed to find and save the fair Snow White.
The handsome prince easily found the cottage of the dwarfs and within minutes discovered Snow White in her gla.s.s coffin. He lifted the cover and stared at her for a moment before reaching beneath her and breaking apart her stays. She immediately awoke, and stared at the handsome prince.
”I love you, Snow White,” he said. ”Marry me and be my princess.”
Now Snow White was forever forgetting which dwarf became which prince, but she knew without a doubt that this prince was not one of hers. ”I cannot marry you,” she replied, looking around for her own princes.
The prince was shocked; he had been so certain that that was not how the story went, but, after much ado, he finally gave up and left Snow White at the cottage of the dwarfs. And, oh, what celebrating took place there when the dwarf-princes returned to discover Snow White alive and well!
The queen, of course, made repeated attempts to bring Snow White back to the castle but, to everyone's astonishment, Snow White adamantly refused. Every manner of enticement and coercion was employed, but nothing could persuade Snow White to return. Eventually, the queen was forced to relent, and Snow White was permitted to remain in the little cottage with the dwarfs.
The strange behavior of Snow White caused many a rumor to spring up, but the queen and those in her service most tirelessly maintain that Snow White did, in fact, marry the prince who saved her in the woods, riding off with him to his kingdom far away. Perhaps that is even the story that you heard.
But I can a.s.sure you that Snow White stayed in the little cottage of the dwarfs, hidden deep in the forest. No doubt she is still there today.
The Empress' New Clothes
This is a story about an empress. During the mystical era of her reign, there were many empresses and queens in power throughout the world. It is said that these legendary women ruled judiciously, and that they brought about a most remarkable amity between their kingdoms and the nations that surrounded them. And as for their subjects, well, you've never heard a single instance of revolt, have you? Indeed not, for these women were supreme leaders, and one of the greatest mysteries in history is that they lost their power. I suspect it had something to do with a male heir, somewhere or other, who, bored by such a peaceful existence, thought it might be more interesting if the question of authority were decided by brute force. But, alas, that theory will have to be taken up another time, for I am quickly wandering away from the original story I had intended to tell.
The empress about whom this story is written ruled over her kingdom with wisdom and kindness as has already been indicated, and she was respected and admired by all who knew her. She had the utmost loyalty from her subjects, and all of the kingdoms that bordered hers were allies. Her husband and worthy a.s.sistant, the emperor, helped turn all of her inclinations into law, trusting her sense and reason without the slightest hesitation.
There was only one discernible eccentricity in the empress's character, and perhaps it was to be expected in one as worthy and remarkable as she. You see, this empress craved attention, and she was never happier than when she was in the spotlight, with all eyes upon her.
As the years pa.s.sed, the empress's desire for attention grew, and she sometimes did things that would draw even more of it to her. Her dresses became bolder, made from cloth that was dyed in the brightest colors imaginable, and cut in such a way as to reveal the maximum amount of flesh. Too, she was apt to leave doors open where privacy was generally expected.
Her husband the emperor was well aware of this growing peculiarity in his wife's character, but as with everything else that pertained to her, he found it to be utterly charming and delightful.
Things went along quite happily for everyone in this way until the occurrence of one very singular event that took place during a great feast that had been arranged to celebrate the empress's birthday.
There was more than the usual amount of intrigue surrounding this birthday celebration, for it had been rumored that the empress had discovered a most exceptional new tailor whose designs had never before been seen in the region. The empress's clothing attracted interest even under ordinary circ.u.mstances, and so on this occasion, with the added mystery of the exciting new tailor, everyone's curiosity was especially piqued to see the empress's new clothes.
When the night of the great feast finally arrived, people were lined up early outside the castle, anxious for a glance at their beloved empress. The servants rushed to and fro in a flurry of excitement, speculating on what their mistress would be wearing. Even the emperor eagerly awaited his wife's grand entrance.
In due time the emperor and his guests gathered around the elegant dining table, while the servants stood alert at all points around the room, ready to jump at the slightest whim of any in the party.
Suddenly there was a hush throughout the room. The emperor looked up and beheld the empress.
She was as naked as the day she was born!
There were some sharp intakes of breath but, on the whole, everyone recovered quite admirably. A worldly d.u.c.h.ess from a more populated city within the kingdom spoke up first.
”Your Highness,” she said, with the most sincere inflection of respect, ”you must give me the name of your new tailor. I have never before seen anything quite like it!”
Immediately the room became flooded with voices echoing the uniqueness and splendor of the empress's costume. Only the emperor remained silent, with a small smile of private amus.e.m.e.nt on his lips. He knew that the empress could do no wrong in the eyes of her subjects and that they would never dare to admit, even to themselves, that she wore no clothes. And yet he felt that she had gone too far. He realized that, as emperor, it was his duty to advise his wife on this matter. But how could he support her constantly growing need for attention, which was quickly becoming exhibitionism, without hindering her authority as ruler?
The emperor looked around the room and observed the unconditional adoration on the faces of the servants, as they graciously served their empress. His smile widened as an idea came to him. He remained quiet and thoughtful throughout the evening as he developed his plan. No one noticed the emperor's preoccupation for, as always, the empress commanded the lion's share of the attention.
A few weeks later the emperor smiled again as he dressed for the affair that he had so carefully planned. It had come together very nicely, indeed, and the empress had been more delighted than anyone by the idea. A theatrical production, right here in the castle! Why, it had been centuries since such things were done. She pleaded to know the details, but, of course, the emperor refused to tell her anything that might spoil the surprise. Even the servants, whom she supposed must be the performers in the feature, spoke not a word about it. Furthermore, the empress hadn't a clue about what talents they possessed, outside of their ordinary duties, and not once had she seen any of them practice!
Extensive renovations were made to convert one of the rooms in the castle into a magnificent theater. The room, which was located near the center of the castle, was chosen because it was completely round. All along the seamless walls, painters worked day and night to create exotic designs to awaken that portion of the brain that most appreciated those things theatrical. Theater seats were arranged on one side of the room, in rows that descended from the wall inward. But most peculiar was the theater box that was created for the empress and her husband, which was placed opposite the theater seats, and jutted out in all directions toward the small stage.
The little theater box was, in fact, a small room, constructed of panels that spanned out across the front. The panels were made from the finest crystal and were most exceptional, for each one offered a different viewpoint from which to see the event. So when looking through one panel, everything appeared precisely as it would through regular gla.s.s, but then, in looking through another, the same image would appear slightly more magnified and, in looking through yet another panel, there would be an even more magnified effect. Opera gla.s.ses were completely unnecessary, as, to see the event more closely, one would merely have to view it through a different panel.
For the final detail in these preparations, the emperor asked his wife to wear the same gown to the theater opening that she had worn to her birthday feast.
When the night of the big event finally came, the emperor walked into the castle theater a few moments after the empress arrived. He stopped for a moment when he saw her, standing alone in the little gla.s.s theater box. He wondered if she had any idea of what was to come. Would she enjoy the encounter that he had planned for her this evening? If he had read her correctly on the night of the great feast, and he felt certain that he had, she would indeed be intrigued by what he had so carefully arranged for her, no matter how frightening or unimaginable it might at first seem.
As he watched her through the gla.s.s, the emperor could clearly see every detail of his wife's body through the imaginary clothing she wore. She stood perfectly straight as she stared out through the crystal, looking this way and that, fascinated by the effect of the unusual panels.
The emperor casually joined the empress in the theater box. The servants, right on cue, were entering the theater and taking their places around the crystal room. The empress gasped when she saw her husband.
”How do you like my new clothes?” he asked, bowing slightly, as was his custom whenever he approached her.
Just as he expected, she covered her shock quickly and, raising her chin a little, she chided him lightly with, ”So, you have discovered the ident.i.ty of my new tailor!”
”Indeed I have,” he replied, glancing nonchalantly through a crystal panel to see how the servants were faring, and mentally calculating how much longer before it was time for the show to begin. He pretended not to be aware of the fact that he was fully aroused. The empress, too, struggled to ignore his condition and maintain an outward appearance that was both dignified and aloof. But the accelerated rise and fall of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s gave evidence of an increased need for oxygen that only becomes necessary when accommodating a racing heart. The emperor noticed this and held back a smile. He had been hoping to achieve that response by the second part of Act One. This was going better than he had antic.i.p.ated.
And it was time, indeed, to begin the presentation.