"That perfection is unobtainable is not an excuse not to strive for it." — Paladine, 'Dungeons And Dragons'

THAT is the question answered by my version of a traditional tale that spans many cultures and time periods

In fact you've probably heard this tale before, most probably from the Brad of Avon himself. BUT he left out the salt!!

One day he called his three daughters to him and demanded that they tell him how much they loved him.

The eldest daughter raved "Oh marvelous father, I love you as much as gold!"

The middle daughter gushed "Oh most fantastic of fathers, I love you as much as diamonds!"

Well pleased with these words and with high expectations of more flattery the king turned to his youngest daughter ... Only to be humiliated by her response:

"My dearest father, I love you as much as salt!"

"How dare you compare me to the simplest and most lowly of ingredients! Your sisters have proven their love with the finest words and phrases, and you ... you ... you compare me to salt!"

"You are no daughter of mine!"

He called for the guards to take her to the furthest border of the kingdom and fling her out for the wolves and beasts. "If they'll have her!"

Here my tale takes a rather predictable twist: The youngest daughter was much loved by the guards and palace staff due to her unfailing kindness and attention to words that mattered, rather than empty flattery.

So rather than obey the king's orders the guards took her to an unused cottage in the local forest with supplies to help her start her new life.

Now I'd love to tell you that she befriended the birds and animals and that her life there was a song ... But this isn't that story.

Life was hard. But she rose to the task and lived a modest life growing and making what she could and trading for what she needed.

She would venture into the market square several times a year to sell her wares, catch up on the court gossip, and shop for what she needed, like salt. No one recognized the disowned princess in the kind peasant girl.

Meanwhile her two sisters lived lavishly, spending the king's riches and continuing to ply him with pretty words and empty flattery.

Eventually they both married well and moved to palaces of their own, leaving the king alone and all but penniless.

At his wits end, the king traveled to each of his daughter’s palaces to remind them of their words of love and respect, and to claim a place in their courts.

As we know this did not go well for the king. He learned the worthlessness of their words and found that since they no longer had need of him, they no longer had time for him.

On the way back to his empty palace the king chanced upon the cottage that his third daughter had made her home.

When he stopped to beg a meal and a night's lodging, he failed to recognize the girl he had disowned.

She made him welcome and served him a hearty stew for his dinner.

And now we come to the meat of our tail: the king complained that the stew lacked taste, demanding salt to flavor the dish.

"You would demand of me the simplest and most lowly of ingredients! That which you hold in so little regard that you would send me to my death rather than accept my honest expression of deep and sincere love?"

At this the king recognized his daughter and understood at last the meaning, and sincerity, of her previous declaration of love.

The king begged his daughter to come back to the palace with him as his only heir and true daughter. And since this is a fairytale she said yes.

She won over the hearts of the kingdom by banishing the court flatterers, and ruling with a level head and a kind heart.

And I'm happy to say that until the day he died, she made sure that the king's food ALWAYS lacked salt.