A Thief and a Mask

Once upon a time there lived a wise king with his beautiful daughter. When it was time for the princess to get married, the king declared, that the candidates for the bridegrooms should come to the palace for the selection. There were only two conditions made: to have a good reputation (this was the king’s requirement) and be handsome (this was the princess’s desire). There was one thief among those, who found out about it. His life, full of crimes and deception, left its stamp on his face. The wrinkles of lie and treachery disfigured his appearance, but earlier he was handsome.
His natural cunning ate him up, and the thief decided to run for the princess’s hand.
“I will think up how to pass over the others!” – He thought.
He secretly visited a famous mask-maker and ordered a mask, which would restore the image of his lost youth.
The thief romped through the first rounds of the competition with the help of this mask. At the beginning, when he came back home in the night, he laughed at the fact, that he could easily deceive the king’s counselors.
“They are real fools!” – He thought looking at his real face in the mirror. However, in several weeks he understood, that things were not as simple as he had supposed. The thief remained among the last twenty contesters for the princess’s hand, and their pictures were published in all newspapers. Now the journalists gathered around his house all the time and asked questions, which he did not want to answer. The thief pretended to be modest and said that probably he would not win the next rounds of the contest, and that his private life was of no particular interest. Now he did not take risks to take off his mask even at night and lived in a permanent fear of exposure.
Soon he was informed, that he had remained among the last three candidates. The thief decided to flee from the country lest he was executed in the case of his exposure. But, as he was leaving his house, the two soldiers, who had been sent by the king, greeted him. It was too late!
On the day of the last round, the thief went to the palace anticipating the worst. Though, he still had a glimmer of hope, that he would not be the princess’s chosen one. However, the girl had already made a decision, and talked to the other candidates for a short time, just to be polite. Then she took him by his hand and said to her father, “Here he is”.
The thief took the king aside in a desperate attempt to avoid being exposed.
“Your Majesty, - he said. It is a great honor to me, but I still need time to prepare. Can we postpone the betrothal for one year?”
The king agreed with pleasure. Of course, the real intention of the thief was the desire to flee from the country at the first opportunity; however it turned out to be impossible. Now he became the second famous person in the kingdom. The crowds of gawkers gathered around his house all the time, hoping to just catch a glimpse of the future king. He was invited to give talks, attend the ceremonies. And, it was the worst thing, to kiss infants. And he hated infants! And he should have kept the vision of honor and virtue, trying to correspond to the lies, to which the mask doomed him. He cursed himself that he had bought it.
He had to endure this torment for the whole year, and nobody could suspect that a thief's soul was hidden under the mask of the noble person.
At last, the day of the Royal Betrothal came. Being sure, that the future held the exposure and death, the thief went to the palace heavy-hearted.
The princess went to meet her chosen one, and he asked her to remain with him tкte-а-tкte for awhile. The girl thought, “Maybe, he will kiss me at last?” But instead the thief threw himself at her feet:
- Your Royal Highness, - he began to sob. I must confess something terrible. Can you forgive me?
And he imparted to her all the story of the deception and told that he was not a handsome prince, but an ugly thief. After he had finished, a long silence fell. At last, the princess began to talk,
- I will forgive you under one condition: take off the mask and show me, who you are!
With great difficulty did he make himself bring his hands to his face. He was trembling of fear and shame, but he took off the mask and turned to the princess.
- Monster! - She shouted and slapped him in the face.
- Yes, yes, I know, - he murmured. I...
- What a foolish jest? - The princess shouted again. What are you trying to obtain?
- What do you want to say?
- Take this, - she said, giving him the mirror. He looked at the mirror. Then he shifted his gaze from the mirror to the mask and again to the mirror. There was the same face!
During the year, which he had spent as a virtuous and decent man, his face has changed. Not only the face, but he himself has changed!
Virtuous behavior changed his appearance and character, although he did not feel it. There was no doubt - he became different.
“Let’s go! - She said. Let’s make like nothing has happened”. And the couple went to meet the king.
Later, when they became the new rulers of the country, the people began to consider the former thief the wisest and most just king of all, who had ever ruled their people.