story with a moral

Young King Arthur was ambushed and imprisoned by the monarch of a
neighboring kingdom. The monarch could have killed him, but was moved by
Arthur's youthful happiness. So he offered him freedom, as long as he could
answer a very difficult question. Arthur would have a year to figure out the
answer. If after a year, he still had no answer, he would be put to death.

The question was: What do women really want?

Such a question would perplex even the most knowledgeable man, and, to young
Arthur, it seemed an impossible query. Well, 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 everybody: the princesses, the
prostitutes, the priests, the wise men, the court jester. In all, he spoke
with everyone, but no one could give him a satisfactory answer.

What most people did tell him was to consult the old witch, as only she
would know the answer. The price would be high, since the witch was famous
throughout the kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged.

The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no alternative but to talk
to the witch.

She agreed to answer his question, but he'd have to accept her price first.
The old witch wanted to marry Gawain, the most noble of the knights of the
Round Table and Arthur's closest friend! Young Arthur was horrified. She was
hunchbacked and awfully hideous, had only one tooth, smelled like sewage
water, often made obscene noises...etc. He had never run across a more
repugnant creature. He refused to force his friend to marry her and have to
endure such a burden.

Gawain, upon learning of the proposal, spoke with Arthur. He told him that
nothing was too big a sacrifice compared to Arthur's life and the
preservation of the Round Table. Hence, their wedding was proclaimed, and
the witch answered Arthur's question.

What a woman really wants is to be able to be in charge of her own life.

Everyone instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth and that
Arthur's life would be spared. And so it went. The neighboring monarch
spared Arthur's life and granted him total freedom. What a wedding Gawain
and the witch had! Arthur was torn between relief and anguish. Gawain was
proper as always, gentle and courteous. The old witch put her worst manners
on display, and generally made everyone very uncomfortable.

The wedding night approached: Gawain, steeling himself for a horrific night,
entered the bedroom. What a sight awaited! The most beautiful woman he'd
ever seen laid before him! Gawain was astounded and asked what has happened.
The beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her (when she'd been a
witch), half the time she would be her horrible, deformed self, and the
other half, she would be her beautiful maiden self. Which would he want her
to be during the day, and which during the night?

What a cruel question! Gawain began to think of his predicament: During the
day a beautiful woman to show off to his friends, but at night, in the
privacy of his home, and old spooky witch? Or would he prefer having by day
a hideous witch, but by night a beautiful woman to enjoy many intimate
moments?

What would you do? What Gawain chose follows below, but don't read it until
you've made your own choice.

Noble Gawain replied that he would let her choose for herself. Upon hearing
this, she announced that she would be beautiful all the time, because he had
respected her and had let her be in charge of her own life.

And what is the moral of this story?

The moral is that it doesn't matter if your woman is pretty or ugly,
underneath it all, she's still a witch---and don't you forget it!