� 2001-2006 by Shiloh
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warm, flushedHappy Valentine's Day all! Or as a friend greeted me this morning: "Happy Singles Appreciation Day!--where you celebrate your single status and be glad you don't have to send anyone a Valentine!"
Ahem. Well, over at Riversleigh Manor we've been busy wooing and honoring our collective Muses with Valentines and holding a banquet, so while I may be single, I've been busy with making and "giving" my Muse, Zo�, Valentines.
This year, I went all out. Well, actually it was Heather's (of Soul Food Caf�) idea that we dress up and make this a formal, luxurious occasion. And since I missed the Caf�'s Masque Ball at Christmastime, I couldn't resist getting dressed up. I raided Pandora's Costume Box for a mask and then went "shopping" online for a dress. *a wide smile blossoms big across my lips* I found the perfect one!
Voila!
I'm going as the "Lady in Red."
After finding and putting my costume together for tonight, I was in the mood to read from the old tree folklore anthology I'd discovered in the Golden Seed Grove behind the manor. Mindful of the aged and yellow pages I settled comfortably on my bed, plumping and propping the pillows behind me and perused the Table of Contents. The words "The Golden Tree" caught my eye, and looking up at my mask and dress on the black velvet sewing form stationed in the center of my garret room, one more smile expressed my pleasure. My mask is painted partly gold and my gorgeous dress has gold filigreed trim. Gold. What a perfect accent; what a perfect tie-in, I thought. I would share this Jewish tale set in India with the crowd, dressed in my Valentine's Day finery!
The Queen knew well the devious root of the King's change of heart. Without a word, she left the palace. Disguised as a beggar, she journeyed until she arrived in India. There she found a small cottage in a forest and lived a simple life.
One night she dreamed of a magnificent Golden Tree. In the morning, she realized that she was pregnant. However, she sent no word to her husband, the King.
That same night the King also dreamed of the Golden Tree. The next morning he could not stop thinking of the wife whom he had banished. Realizing his mistake, he set out to find her and ask for her forgiveness.
He traveled following the merchants who said they had seen the woman he described. He, too, arrived in India. But he could not find his wife. Finally, he sought the advice of a sage. No disguise could hide her true beauty. The wise sage did not tell him how to find her. Instead, he advised the King to find the Golden Tree he had seen in his dream. "Then you will find your true love," said the sage.
His journey was arduous and long. Over the course of seven years, the King's feet were hardened, his robes were torn to shreds and a beard grew from his chin. But, at long last, in the middle of a boiling lake, he saw an island on which grew the Golden Tree.
He risked his life and crossed the fiery water and took a single branch from the tree. He saw his wife's beloved face reflected, as if in a mirror, on every leaf. He wept until his heart was cleansed of selfishness and the boiling water around him was cool and still. Then soon afterward, having recrossed the lake, he entered a forest he had not seen before. He came upon the cottage of his wife. She recognized him instantly for she had loved him with all of her heart. She saw the branch of the Golden Tree she had dreamed of in his hands. Yet, uncertain of the nature of his visit, the Queen let her seven-year-old son stay unseen. When she opened the door, the King knew her as well.
The King asked for her forgiveness. They told each other their tales, and she gladly forgave him.
She then introduced her husband to their child. The Queen, the King and the Prince returned home. The gold branch was planted in the royal garden and grew there as a reminder of their love. The three other queens were banished. They set off on journeys of their own. May they, too, be tempered by love.
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