I've got too much spare time at work........
> > One day, young King Arthur was ambushed and imprisoned
> > by the monarch of a neighbouring kingdom.
> >
> > The monarch could have killed him, but was moved by
> > Arthur's youthful happiness. So he offered him freedom, as
> > long as he could answer a very difficult question. Arthur
> > would have a year to figure out the answer; if, after a year,
> > he still had no answer, he would be killed.
> >
> > The question was: What do women really want?
> >
> > Such a question would perplex even the most knowledgeable
> > man, and, to young Arthur, it seemed an impossible query.
> > Since it was better than death, however, he accepted the
> > monarch's proposition to have an answer by year's end. He
> > returned to his kingdom and began to poll everybody: the
> > princess, the prostitutes, the priests, the wise men, the court
> > jester.
> >
> > In all, he spoke with everyone but no one could give him a
> > satisfactory answer.
> >
> > What most people did tell him was to consult the old witch, as
> > only she would know the answer. The price would be high, since
> > the witch was famous throughout the kingdom for the exorbitant
> > prices she charged.
> >
> The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no alternative but
> > to talk to the witch. She agreed to answer his question, but he'd
> > have to accept her price first: the old witch wanted to marry
> > Gawain, the most noble of the Knights of the Round Table and
> > Arthur's closest friend!
> >
> > Young Arthur was horrified: she was hunchbacked and awfully
> > hideous, had only one tooth, smelled like sewage water, and
> > often made obscene noises.
> > He had never run across such a repugnant creature. He refused
> > to force his friend to marry her and have to endure such a burden.
> >
> > Gawain, upon learning of the proposal, spoke with Arthur. He told
> > him that nothing was too big of a sacrifice compared to Arthur's
> > life and the preservation of the Round Table. Hence, their wedding
> > was proclaimed, and the witch answered Arthur's question:
> >
> > What a woman really wants is to be able to be in charge of her own
> > life.
> >
> > Everyone instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth
> > and that Arthur's life would be spared. And so it went. The
> > neighbouring monarch spared Arthur's life and granted him total
> > freedom.
> >
> > What a wedding Gawain and the witch had! Arthur was torn
> > between relief and anguish. Gawain was proper as always, gentle
> > and courteous. The old witch put her worst manners on display.
> > She ate with her hands, belched and farted, and made everyone
> > uncomfortable.
> >
> > The wedding night approached: Gawain, steeling himself for a
> > horrific night, entered the bedroom. What a sight awaited! The
> > most beautiful woman he'd ever seen lay before him! Gawain was
> > astounded and asked what had happened.
> >
> > The beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her (when
> > she'd been a witch), half the time she would be her horrible,
> > deformed self, and the other half, she would be her beautiful
> > maiden self. Which would he want her to be during the day and
> > which during the night?
> >
> > What a cruel question! Gawain began to think of his predicament:
> > during the day a beautiful woman to show off to his friend, but at
> > night, in the privacy of his home, an old spooky witch? Or would
> > he prefer having by day a hideous witch, but by night a beautiful
> > woman to enjoy many intimate moments?
> >
> > What would you do?
> >
> > What Gawain chose follows below, but don't read until you've
> > made your own choice.
> >
> >
> > *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
> >
> > Noble Gawain replied that he would let her choose for herself.
> > Upon hearing this, she announced that she would be beautiful
> > all the time, because he had respected her and had let her be
> > in charge of her own life.
> >
> > What is the moral of this story?
> >
> > The moral is that it doesn't matter if your woman is pretty or
> > ugly, smart or dumb.
> >
> > Underneath it all, she's still a witch.
> >