One day the knight was walking through the wicked forest, when all of a sudden he spotted a damsel in distress.  With a great rush and clanking of his armor he ran to her aid.

            "What is it?"  he asked.  "What is it that is causing you distress?"

            The fair maiden looked up at him, as warm and moist tears fell down upon her crimson cheeks.  "You would not understand, Sir." she replied.  "I am so sad that you would not understand."

            "My fair maiden," replied the knight, "how am I going to aid you if you do not explain?"

            The maiden sobbed a great sob, as she began to explain.  "My dear brother, the great Prince Frederick, is having his eighteenth birthday today.  It is a very important birthday, as it signifies that today he becomes a man."

            "Is that so horrible?"  asked the knight.

            "No."  replied the princess maiden.  "But what is truly horrible is that I do not know what to give him.  I love him and there is nothing special I have to give."

            The knight, now realizing that this simple girl was the King's daughter, thought carefully for a moment before he spoke.  "My fair lady, if it would please you, give him this."  As he continued to speak he handed her his shield.  "It has kept me safe through many a battle.  Surely a boy becoming a man for the first time will need it for protection and it will demonstrate to your brother Frederick your love for him and your great concern for his safety."

            The princess maiden took the shield.  She began to cry tears of great joy.  Looking over the shield, she turned it over and saw that there was an inscription on the back, written in a mystical language.  Not knowing how to read it, she asked, "What is this?"

            "The shield was the last gift my mother gave to me before she died."  the knight explained.  "The inscription was her favorite saying.  It reads, love is a gift that was not given to you to stay, for love is only yours when you give it away."

            The princess looked confused.  It appeared as though she did not quite understand what the saying meant.  Noticing this, the knight smiled and asked, "My good princess, have you not ever given a gift?"

            "Goodness no!"  replied the princess.  "I am a 'Princess'.  People only give to me!"

            With a knowing grin the knight teased, "Well then, it is no wonder why you were so sad.  Perhaps it is time that I escort you safely to your brother's party."  And with that the princess and the knight left.

            The princess remained quite silent throughout their journey.  The whole way she kept looking over and over again at the mystical inscription on the back of the shield. 

            As they arrived at the party for Prince Frederick, they entered upon a great crowd.  At the front was Prince Frederick, sitting upon a golden throne, next to his father the king.  He had already begun receiving his gifts.  There were many wondrous gifts.  Among them a golden flute, a dancing elephant and many, many jewels.

            "Oh, this is so ordinary."  stated the princess while looking at the shield.  "And it's used!"

            "Trust me."  said the knight.

            The princess did, and as she did, she began to walk towards her brother Frederick.  Her knees began to shake as she walked toward him, wondering if her gift was good enough.

            As she arrived in front of Prince Frederick, he anxiously looked at her, awaiting his present.  "H..He..Here dearest brother.  I..I brought you a shield.  I wanted to make sure you were safe when you went into battle because I…I," The princess then murmured something quietly.

            "Because what?!"  snapped Prince Frederick, frowning at the plain looking shield.

            "B..Because I love you!"  said the princess and with that she began to cry.

            The crowd froze.  Their heads bowed in shame, as by the materialism of their gifts, they realized what they had not done.  For love is the greatest gift of all.

            Deeply touched, Prince Frederick rose and walked over to his sister.  "Dearest Sister," he spoke gently as he lovingly wiped her tears from her face.  "I'm sorry I scorned your gift.  I did not realize what the shield contained.  All my life, all I ever truly wanted, was for someone to tell me that they loved me.  Instead, because I am the Prince, people just gave me 'things'.  Today you have warmed my heart, for now at last I know that I am loved."  Prince Frederick then held his sister close, and while they embraced, he said, "I love you too dearest sister."

            Just then the King rose and said, "Where did this precious shield come from?" 

            The princess answered, "There Father.  It came from that knight, the one standing without a shield."  As she spoke she pointed towards the knight.

            "Come here."  commanded the King.  As the knight walked forward, a single white dove flew toward him and rested upon his shoulder.  The knight then bowed at the King's feet.

            "Gentle and wise knight."  spoke the King.  "I give to you the greatest possession that I now have, as you have so greatly given to my two children.  I give to you this single white dove.  I give her to you now as she represents peace.  As you have brought peace and love back into my kingdom, so now I give it back to you.  Go now in peace and prosper."

            With the single white dove still resting on his shoulder, the knight turned to leave.  As he did, the King addressed his kingdom and all of the people within it.  "I ask all of you, that whatever this kind man needs, to him it is to be given."

            Thus the knight left.  He traveled back through the wicked forest and as he did he saw the image of a woman standing before him like a great ghost.

            "Don't be afraid."  chirped the little dove.  "She is here to love you."

            As the knight walked closer, he began to see that the image was an angel.  Arriving at the angel's feet, he became deeply moved, seeing then that it was the spirit of his mother.

            "My dear one," she spoke, "the angels in heaven smile down upon you today, as at last you have recognized the hidden beauty behind the shield that I gave to you.  It is the same beauty and power behind all gifts that are given unselfishly.  It is the great power known as Love.  Now it is time for you to know the gift that has been given to you." 

            With that a whirlwind began.  Leaves swirled around the knight's feet.  Higher and higher they swirled and swirled, until he could no longer see.  But when the winds died down, the knight saw standing before him, the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen.

            The spirit of his mother again spoke.  "This is the Princess Peace.  She has been waiting for you for a very long time."

            The princess walked towards the knight, and as she did he noticed that the little white dove was no longer resting upon his shoulder.  The princess knelt at the knight's feet and kissed them.  "Dear knight," she spoke as she looked up at him.  "I declare today that your name be changed to Prince Love.  As it is fitting, I ask that you consider asking me to marry you so that Love and Peace may again preside over the world."

            The newly declared Prince dropped down onto one knee.  He then asked Princess Peace for her hand in marriage.  The two embraced and as they did the heavens opened and a chariot of angels flew down upon the ground.

            The mother spirit angel spoke to her son once more before leaving.  "Go now and reign, my son, as your heritage awaits you.  As love is given unto you, so now give it away.  Always remember that love is not given to stay.  It is only yours when you give it away."

            Prince Love and Princess Peace were married.  As they reigned together as king and queen, Love and Peace were restored upon the Earth.

 

 

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