The Princess and Her Gift

A Tale on the Practical Magic of Learning

Magic is neither good nor bad—it all depends on how it is used.

— Merlin

The Princess and Her GiftDona J. Young2nd Edition—November 2010Copyright © Writer’s Toolkit Publishing LLCAll rights reserved

ISBN-13: 978-1456421410 ISBN-10: 1456421417Library of Congress Control Number: 2010918626

Illustrated by Katherine OrrAll artwork © 2009 Katorriginal Inc.All rights reserved. Katorriginal® is a registered trademark.

Graphic design and production by Caroline Baty-Barrwww.baty-barr.com

Writer’s Toolkit Publishing LLCwww.wtkpublishing.com

No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the author. The authors and editors have used their best efforts to insure that the information presented herein is accurate at the time of publication.

This book is a work of fiction.

The Princess and Her Gift

A Tale on the Practical Magic of Learning

Dona J. Young

Illustrated by

Katherine Orr

To the Harris girls—

Ruby, Mary Lou, Margaret, Rosalie,

Helen, Jane, and Isabelle

The Princess and Her Gift

A Tale on the Practical Magic of Learning

Chapter 1: The Gift 1

Chapter 2:The Enchantment 7

Chapter 3:The Journey 15

Chapter 4:The Secret 27

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Chapter 1: The Gift

nce upon a time in a land very noble lived a beautiful young

princess. Some said the princess was fortunate because she

had a fairy godmother who bestowed upon her the cherished gift of

magical learning.

This special gift was magical indeed, because the gift enabled the

princess to learn anything she wished without struggle or drudgery or

mistakes.

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Memorizing, practicing, and studying would all be activities of the

past, as would be the discomfort of not knowing an answer and the

pain from making mistakes. Upon asking, the princess would instantly

attain the talent of her desire.

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As life appeared to the princess, the gift could make all of her

dreams come true. Her only challenge seemed to be deciding what to

learn next.

Even magic has its limits, though. Having no vision of its own, the

gift was neither good nor bad. How the princess used the gift would

determine its worth.

Though the hard work of learning would no longer be the

princess’s concern, she still had to rely on her own feelings and values

to guide her in selecting what to learn.

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Her fairy godmother had tried to explain that the gift might have a

downside, but the princess would hear nothing of it. All of the

princess’s thoughts had turned into fantasies about how she would

use her gift. She was just too excited to pay attention to any of her

fairy godmother’s words of caution.

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TChapter 2: The Enchantment

he princess quickly saw worth in the many talents and skills

that those in her kingdom prized.

She began to play any number of instruments flawlessly and even

to play the game of chess perfectly, not to mention her athletic feats.

Without effort, the princess used her gift to place first in every sport

she tried.

As most of us might respond if graced with such a gift, the princess

became enchanted by her new power. Little time passed before the

princess spent all of her time showing off her new talents.

As the princess flaunted her talents, she inspired awe in the

townspeople and gained recognition from them. On some days, she

spent as much time thinking about her fame and how others admired

her as she spent using her talents.

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The princess did not understand, though, that the most precious

qualities of life are not visible to the eye. These unseen qualities do

not glitter or seek admiration—these qualities are subtle, yet they

bring deep rewards.

Because her gift made learning deceptively simple, the princess

understood only what appeared on the surface. In other words,

her world of learning had no depth or passion. Though the princess

quickly created paintings that were pleasing to the eye, her paintings

never evoked feeling. While the princess could speak languages from

foreign lands, she did not understand the people or the customs from

those lands.

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Alas, many qualities remained hidden from the princess. For

instance, if she asked for the ability to play the flute, she could do so

perfectly; but she did not learn the humility that comes from making

mistakes nor the spirit that develops from overcoming weakness.

The princess was the best at all that she did, so she had no equals.

Since she was perfect, she had no tolerance for those less skilled than

she. As one might expect, she would not play her flute or harp or

oboe with the town orchestra. Their skills were not perfect, and she

had no patience for their fumbling and mistakes and long practice

sessions.

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As time went on, the princess began to feel that everyone resented

her for her talent, and she responded by despising even those who

adored her. She especially loathed her older stepsister, who was quite

popular in spite of having no talent at all.

The princess’s envy drove her to be greedy with her gift and eager

to display her perfection. To her dismay, the more she flaunted her

talents, the more bored she became.

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Surprisingly, with each new talent, the princess felt more confused

and lonely. Certainly, every one of her wishes had come true, so why

was she not happy?

In her despair, the princess could think of nothing new that she

wanted to learn, so she decided to take a walk through the village.

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Chapter 3: The Journey

he day was sunny and birds greeted her with their lovely

songs, but the princess was lost in her own dark feelings.

After walking for a while, the princess came upon an old peasant

woman who was sitting in an orchard weaving. The princess had never

seen a tapestry as beautiful as the old woman’s, and the lonely princess

saw joy and serenity in every motion that the old woman made.

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Even though the only treasure in this old woman’s life seemed to

be her talent for weaving, the princess felt envy. She wanted to weave

faster and more beautifully than the old peasant woman.

As the princess started to wish for this new skill, a subtle and

unexpected thought caused her to pause. In that moment, the

princess knew that this time she should not rely upon her gift of

magical learning.

As the old woman glanced up, the princess reluctantly humbled

herself and asked the woman to teach her the skill of weaving. To this

the old woman replied,

Dear one, this skill is not for me to teach, but for you

to learn. You are welcome to sit by my side and learn

for as long as you wish.

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For the princess, learning the art of tapestry took many months

which then turned into years. At first, the princess resented spending

the dreary hours sitting and laboring, but she was determined to

learn the old woman’s secret.

In the beginning, the princess would get angry every time that she

made a mistake. At these times, the old woman would take her hand

and show her how to correct a knot or adjust the spindle.

The old woman’s touch would soothe the princess, helping her

to regain her confidence to continue. At other times, the princess

felt confused, and the old woman would ask her questions until the

princess discovered the color or pattern that would allow her to

continue working.

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The old woman’s questions encouraged the princess to see

connections and look deeper for answers. As time went on, the

princess no longer relied on the first idea that came to her mind.

Instead, she listened for her own still, quiet voice to whisper direction

and give her confidence.

After a while, the old woman would smile and chuckle when the

princess would make a mistake. The old woman’s giggles lightened the

princess’s heart, making her smile too. The princess soon discovered

that when her heart felt light, she accepted her mistakes and did not

worry so much about what others would think.

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The princess focused on each design as it unfolded and delighted

in delicate hues that she had not seen before. The princess also quietly

realized that she had learned something that she had not previously

appreciated, the ability to stay committed.

Her newfound commitment helped her to continue, and the

princess looked less and less to the old woman for comfort and

guidance. Just sitting beside the old woman seemed to be enough,

even while they were both silent.

Many of the townspeople noticed how hard the princess worked.

They also noticed that her stepsister enjoyed seeing the princess

make mistakes. Instead of being kind to the princess, her stepsister

scoffed at her for wasting time. Still the princess did not give up,

but instead she developed courage to ignore unfruitful criticism

and painful remarks that others sometimes offer. This new strength

allowed her to persist when faced with challenge.

Along with other qualities that the princess was learning, the

princess noticed that she no longer envied the old woman for her

serenity and beautiful weaves.

Without trying or even noticing, the princess and the old woman

had become friends, and their friendship brought joy to both of them.

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Though the old woman had felt compassion for the princess since

the day they first met, the princess could now feel compassion for the

old woman as well. These feelings were new to the princess, and they

gave her smile a gentle softness.

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Chapter 4: The Secret

he old woman and princess enjoyed the melody of their

humming looms almost as much as they delighted in sitting

side by side as they worked.

One day, after the princess had completed her most beautiful

tapestry, the old woman asked the princess what she had learned.

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My tapestries grow slowly, and so must I. Highly

prized skills bring no joy without strength, patience,

and commitment.

Now I value inner qualities, such as humility and

courage, more than any skill. Though my journey is

just beginning, my understanding will grow as long

as I struggle and persist through the challenges.

To this question the princess replied,

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The sage woman nodded warmly and responded,

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Dear one, now you have insight into an important

secret of life: you become what you learn. What you

earn is always worth more than what you are given.

The magic is in the journey, not in the destination.

Even if you do not receive acclaim, each step in your

journey matters because the journey changes your

heart in ways your mind could never imagine.

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As the princess walked to her palace that evening, she was deep

in thought. The princess now understood that the process of learning

was more important than the goal itself.

She also understood that her secret world of learning was far more

precious than her magical gift.

The princess knew that she must give up her gift, but to whom?

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After reflecting for some time, the princess had an unexpected

idea: she would ask her fairy godmother to bestow the gift upon

her stepsister. The princess sensed that her stepsister would eagerly

accept the gift, as the princess had so many years ago.

Now, the princess pondered, my journey of learning

can take me to new and unexpected places. Instead

of looking outside of myself, I will first look deep inside

my heart and then allow my mind to follow. If I do this,

every day can be a fresh beginning.

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At that moment, the princess had a bewildering thought that

the old woman faintly reminded her of her fairy godmother. Before

exploring that idea, the princess savored the sweetness of a golden

ripe peach that the old woman had given her earlier that day.

Journaling for Insight

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As you read the quotes on the following pages, reflect upon your own

experiences and write about your insights.

Before writing in your journal, do a mind map; here’s how:

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You become what you learn.

—John Dewey

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Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

—Winston Churchill

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Patience and fortitude conquer all things.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.

—Helen Keller

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When we are being compassionate, we consider another’s circumstance with love rather than judgment.

—Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D.

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Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.

—Carl Jung

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Love shows itself more in adversity than in prosperity; as light does, which shines most where the place is darkest.

—Leonardo da Vinci

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In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.

—David Steindl-Rast

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If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing.

—Marc Chagall

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Vitality shows not only in the ability to persist, but the ability to start over.

—F. Scott Fitzgerald

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With the gift of listening comes the gift of healing.

—Catherine de Hueck Doherty

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The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

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The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes

but in having new eyes.

—Marcel Proust

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Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.

—Jonathan Swift

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Be kind, for everyone you meet is fightinga harder battle.

—Plato

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Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.

—Maria Robinson

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Joy lies in the fight, in the attempt, in the suffering involved, not in the victory itself.

—Mahatma Gandhi

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Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.

—Robert F. Kennedy

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Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find;

knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

—Matthew 7:7

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About the Author

Dona J. Young is a teacher, facilitator, and writing coach who believes

that the process of learning is a cherished gift. She is also the author

of the following books:

The Little Prince Who Taught a Village to Sing

Eleven Steps to Instantly Improve Your Writing

Which Comes First, the Comma or the Pause? A Guide for Business Writing

Writing from the Core: Grammar for Writing

The Mechanics of Writing

Business English: Writing for the Global Workplace

Foundations of Business Communication

For more information, visit Young’s website at

www.thewriterstoolkit.com.

About the Artist

Katherine Orr works in a variety of media: pen and ink line drawings,

watercolor, acrylic, and mixed media under Katorriginal®. Orr creates

her work with authenticity and clarity, bringing a touch of grace and

beauty to everyday life.

She believes that there is room for a sense of humor, as well as joy, in

art. Orr also illustrated The Little Prince Who Taught a Village to Sing

and Andrew’s Story.

For more about Katherine Orr’s art, visit her website at

www.katorriginal.com.

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