Once upon a time, so long ago that time was solid enough to sit upon, there was a large kingdom.

In this kingdom, there was a princess who was more beautiful than the night sky. Her hair was long, the color of a slow autumn sunrise. Her eyes were deep, and were dark and shimmering, like moonlight on a deep, slow-moving river. Her lips were the color of frost-covered roses and her voice was as cool and fresh as an autumn wind. Her skin was as pale as the winter sky – for, having been raised as a good princess should be, she had never been outside.

When the time came for her to be married, her father decided to let her choose her groom. He knew that if he didn't, she would run off with poor peasant farmers, as a good princess certainly should not. He did not want this to happen.

Men came from all the world over to win the beautiful princess's hand. Finally, she narrowed it down to only three.

The first was the richest man on earth, greedy, ugly, and old. "If you marry me," he said, "you shall have whatever you wish. You and your children shall know no want and you will be happy forever."

Second was the bravest knight on earth, proud and strong, who had won honor fighting all manner of evils. "If you marry me," he said, "you shall always be safe and secure. You and your children shall never know fear, and you will be happy forever."

Thirdly, there was a poor prince from a poor land. Poor though he was, he was the most beautiful man in the world. His hair, though shaggy, was as golden as flax in late summer. His eyes shone and sparkled like dew on soft, new spring grass. His lips, though chapped by sun and wind, were the color of a warm sunset reflected off a still lake. (Though the princess would not have described him this way, having, like a good princess, never been outside). His beautiful tenor voice was warm and inviting, and he always seemed about to laugh.

"If you marry me," he said, "you will not have much but love. But you and your children will never know loneliness and you will be happy forever."

The next day, they all gave her gifts.

From the rich duke, a golden box inlaid with pearls and filled with jewels of unimaginable splendor was the gift. They were a magnificent sight even for the princess, who could have bought a whole city with a single pair of her shoes.

From the knight, she received the sword with which he had killed the greatest, most powerfully magical dragon in Wales and the sorcerer to whom it belonged - still covered in blood. The princess grimaced, but felt honored, as a good princess should in such situations.

The poor man's gift was a bouquet of wild daisies. The princess delighted in this gift, for she had never seen anything like them, having been raised with only the most rare and expensive flowers, as a good princess should be. She laughed and ordered them taken to her room, to be kept alive as long as possible in a place where she could see them.

The third and final day, each man was given three hours to spend with the princess, with an hour in between.

The rich duke took her to his treasury and showed her his vast amounts of wealth. He spoke only of money and business the whole time they were together. The princess tried to stay interested, as a good princess should, but the hours dragged by. When at last the time was up, she practically flew to her room to escape the monotonous and tiresome man.

After an hour, the knight came for his three hours. He took her to his own manor for luncheon, and told her tales of his heroic deeds. She was transported away to Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and all manner of other places she had never seen through the knight's story-telling. She was very interested in these stories, but they were quite gruesome, and she found she had no appetite for the feast spread before her. She finally had to leave early, not at all like a good princess should, when the smell of the food and the grisly stories became too much for her. She barely kept her stomach on the carriage ride home, and spent the next hour in bed, feeling quite ill.

When the time came for the poor prince to meet her, she did not want to get out of bed, still feeling queasy and dreading another awful experience. In the end she decided, as a good princess should, not to betray her appointments and, walking down the stairs, braced herself for the worst.

But when she saw the prince at the bottom of the stairs, all the breath left her, so taken was she by his undreamed-of beauty. When she had regained herself, which took entirely too long for a refined princess like her, the prince took her outside, just as the sun was setting. She was awestruck at the beauty of it. She had never seen the sunset, for, as we've said, she had never been outside. Then, when the sun had set, the prince showed her the night sky.

"Princess," he said, his tender voice sending shivers down her spine, "you are more beautiful than the night sky. Your eyes shine with the brilliance of a thousand stars. Your hair is the color of a slow autumn sunrise. Your lips are the color of frost-covered roses and your voice is as cool and fresh as the breeze. Your skin is as pale as the moon. If you marry me, I will show you things as beautiful as this sky, but remember that you surpass them all. I love you, and I always will. Please choose me to be your husband, and I will remain faithful to you forever."

He led her back inside, where her father was waiting.

"Whom will you choose?" asked the nervous king; for he had seen the way his daughter had looked as she came inside. She smiled and gazed dreamily at nothing in particular.

"Princess?" the king asked, more nervous than before. The princess seemed to hear him for the first time, and the mist cleared from her eyes.

"Yes daddy?" she asked in a respectful tone, just like a good princess should.

"I said, who are you going to marry?"

The princess smiled, starting to look misty-eyed again, then shook her head in an impatient, business-like way.

"The rich duke of course, Daddy," she laughed. "He is old and will die soon, leaving me all his wealth."

"I have taught you well, my daughter," said the king, with a sigh of relief.

The next week, there was a grand wedding (financed, of course, by the rich duke) and the whole kingdom came to watch, from the lowliest of beggars to the greatest of lords. It was all very stirring. The two rejected suitors rode sadly back home.

A few months later, when all the excitement had died down, the rich duke died of... mysterious causes. The princess, now duchess, wore black and mourned, like a good duchess should. All of her late husband's estates were left to her, and she lived richly ever after, as a wise and well-raised duchess should.