The Fine Fresh Fineapple
Long ago, an aging childless king gathered his court together. “I am ready to pass along my crown,” he announced. “The next king will be decided by a contest.”
He then called upon two young dukes, Frederick and Matthew, who had the nearest claims to the throne. The king told them, “Whichever of you brings me the finest gift will win my kingdom. You have three hours.”
Now, Matthew had seen a splendid gold shield in a neighboring city. Away he fled on his swift horse, taking the fastest route, a lonely forest trail. But robbers waylaid him and made off with his horse, sword, and money.
Frederick had also heard of the shield, and he rode out on the same path. Deep in the woods, he came upon Matthew. After hearing his story, Frederick grinned and said, “If you appeal to the king, I’ll tell him you spun a false tale to gain another chance.” Then Frederick raced on and bought the shield.
Riding back, Frederick jeered at Matthew, who was jogging homeward. Frederick tore along until a white-bearded man in a worn gray cloak waved him down.
“What is it?” Frederick asked the man. “Do you have news of the robbers?” He looked warily about at the quiet oaks. “I thought they were long gone.”
“I know nothing
of them,” said the stranger. “The matter is this: I left off selling
fruit at the market because I felt ill.” He pointed to a cottage high
on a hillside. “Now I beg you to give me a ride home. I’ll repay your
goodness with this fine fresh fineapple.” From a sack he pulled what looked
like a silvery pineapple patched with red, blue, purple, orange, and
emerald. “Fineapples make wonderful desserts.”
Frederick had no plans to help the man, but thinking he might grab the merry-looking fruit, he asked, “What does a fineapple taste like?”
“Hmmm,” said the stranger. “Fineapples
taste like ice—”
“Ice?”
“Wait, if you’ll only . . . but perhaps you’d prefer to know that fineapples also taste like rice—”
“Rice? How boring!” And spurring his horse, Frederick shot away.
As for Matthew, he was nearly through the woods, his mind busy with plans for refilling his purse and quickly searching out a gift close to home. Then he, too, was stopped by the pleading stranger offering him the fineapple. Matthew’s heart fell at the timing of the request, but he took the man’s arm. “I’ll gladly help you, friend. Just lean on me.”
After a slow climb up the hill, Matthew got the man settled in his cottage. “Bless you!” said the stranger. “Now you must accept this fineapple and enjoy a wonderful dessert.”
He has little to spare, thought Matthew, but I don’t want to hurt his pride. So he took the fruit, thanked the man, and bade him good-bye.
Matthew
then ran all the way back to the city. When he saw the clock tower,
he realized that he had only minutes left to return to the castle.
I chose to stop and help the stranger, and
I’d do it again, he told himself.
Now I’ll stand up straight and lose this contest honorably. The fineapple
is all I have to give. So be it.
When Matthew dashed into the crowded throne room with the fineapple, Frederick burst out laughing. Then the king asked for the gifts.
First, Frederick presented the shield.
“Superb,” said the king.
Next, Matthew handed the fineapple to the king.
“What is this odd fruit?” asked the king.
Before Matthew could answer, Frederick spoke up. “That’s a fineapple, your majesty. I know you can’t end the contest fairly without trying a bite. Still, someone should warn you that fineapples taste like ice and rice.”
The king sent for
his head cook, who plunged a knife through the fineapple’s hard skin.
From the cut fruit billowed a sparkling fog-cloud. As it cleared, it
revealed a silver-robed wizard standing beside a solid-gold table. Upon the
table was spread a grand dessert shaped like a perfect map of the kingdom.
The king gaped at its ice-cream peaks topped with diamond castles, its cake lowlands shining with gold cities, its crystal-bowled marshes of creamy rice pudding.
The wizard said to the king, “I have fulfilled my
promise to test the dukes’ kindness.”
Matthew’s eyes widened as he recognized the wizard’s face as that of
the stranger in need.
Smiling at Matthew, the wizard added, “Yes, I always do say that a fineapple makes a wonderful dessert.”
The king named Matthew the new ruler of the land. And thanks to the fine fresh fineapple, the celebration that followed was beyond compare.
