The Choice

For those who Hope   

Between those two fair ladies, it would be quite difficult to choose who the fairer one was. The first one was beautiful and charming. She had a peevish smile, and her eyes danced merrily. The other lady was simple with heavenly austerity and peace seemed to emanate from her beautiful countenance. Their stately appearance showed that they were of not the mortal kind.

 And as he sat under the huge tree pondering over the mystery of life and the universe, they presented themselves before him as two ladies at war would. “We have a dispute between us that who of us is the fairer one?” said the first lady.

“And seeing you ponder over grave matters in youth, made us feel that you could judge fairly,” said the other lady.

“And it has become a subject of debate in the entire Universe, but none has the courage to come forward and resolve the dispute.”

He stared at them in silence, thinking.

There had been a time long, long ago, when three beautiful goddesses had come to a young Trojan prince, to judge who was the fairest of them. They had bribed him. And he was tricked. And the fool had chosen one of them, thus bringing on himself the wrath of the other two. And what had resulted was The Trojan War, and numerous deaths.

‘Surely, this is a test,’ thought he. ‘And from history, I must learn not to repeat the mistakes of the past.’

“I can’t tell beauty at first sight. I will have to observe you both closely before I finally give my verdict,” he finally said.

So they uncovered themselves, and he knew each of them in their nakedness. Those two beautiful ladies were urging him to decide a complicated matter. Making a choice was difficult. How could he choose someone that his opinion pleased them both? Rather it was a solution to a problem that would leave him and perhaps the world unharmed.

Said the first lady, “If you choose me as the fairer one, I will give you the best of imagination and you can be the greatest writer or politician.”

Said the second lady, “If you choose me as the fairer one, I will acknowledge you with the truth of things and you can be the greatest scientist or statesman.”

He looked at them thoughtfully and said, “It’s very difficult to choose the fairer out of you two, for both of you are almost equally fair. But then, the decision would remain pending and the quarrel of beauty would continue. However, I will give my decision if you both promise to make a pact with me.”

“Say your mind,” said the ladies.

“The one who I do not choose will be my consort,” he said.

“It’s strange!” said the first lady. “Usually a man would take a woman who is more beautiful. But then I agree.”

“So do I agree,” said the second lady.

And he chose.

Having pleased Fallacy away, he made the voyage of his life with a vivid imagination with Truth as his companion.