King Arthur and the Witch

Got this email-story long, long time ago. I even forgot who sent it to me... somehow I managed to keep this on file and therefore still available for my reading consumption. Here it goes:

Young King Arthur was ambushed and imprisoned by the monarch of aneighboring kingdom. The monarch could have killed him but was moved byArthur's youth and ideals. So, the monarch offered him his freedom, as longas he could answer a very difficult question. Arthur would have a year tofigure out the answer and, if after a year, he still had no answer, he would be put to death.

The question?....What do women really want? Such a question would perplexeven the most knowledgeable man, and to young Arthur, it seemed animpossible query. But, since it was better than death, he accepted the monarch's proposition to have an answer by year's end.

He returned to his kingdom and began to poll everyone: the princess, thepriests, the wise men and even the court jester. He spoke! with everyone,but no one could give him a satisfactory answer.

Many people advised him to consult the old witch, for only she would havethe answer. But the price would be high; as the witch was famous throughout the kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged.

The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no choice but to talk tothe witch. She agreed to answer the question, but he would have to agree toher price first. The old witch wanted to marry Sir Lancelot, the most noble of the Knights of the Round Table and Arthur's closest friend!

Young Arthur was horrified. She was hunchbacked and hideous, had only onetooth, smelled like sewage, made obscene noises, etc. He had neverencountered such a repugnant creature in all his life. He refused to force his friend to marry her and endure such a terribleburden; but Lancelot, learning of the proposal, spoke with Arthur. He said nothing was too big of a sacrifice compare! d to Arthur's life andthe preservation of the Round Table.

Hence, a wedding was proclaimed and the witch answered Arthur's question thus: What a woman really wants, she answered....is to be in charge of her own life. Everyone in the kingdom instantly knew that the witch had uttered a greattruth and that Arthur's life would be spared.

And so it was, the neighbouring monarch granted Arthur his freedom andLancelot and the witch had a wonderful wedding. The honeymoon hour approached and Lancelot, steeling himself for ahorrific experience, entered the bedroom. But, what a sight awaited him.

The most beautiful woman he had ever seen lay before him on the bed. Theastounded Lancelot asked what had happened. The beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her when she appearedas a witch, she would henceforth, be her horrible deformed self only half the time and the beautiful maiden the other half. Which would he prefer? Beautiful during the day....or night?

Lancelot pondered the predicament. During the day, a beautiful woman toshow off to his friends, but at night, in the privacy of his castle, an old witch? Or, would he prefer having a hideous witch during the day, but bynight, a beautiful woman for him to enjoy wondrous intimate moments?

Noble Lancelot said that he would allow HER to make the choice herself.

Upon hearing this, she announced that she would be beautiful all the time because he had respected her enough to let her be in charge of her own life.

So, what's the moral lesson of this story?

If you don't let a woman have her own way.... Things are going to get ugly!!!