the most beautiful woman in the world

MelissaMiso · July 2012

Here's a story that my mother always told me as a lesson of beauty:

A small child lost and weeping was found by one of the King's men in the town square. Brought before the King he explained that he was lost and trying to find his mother. The sympathetic King offered to help him find his mother and asked what she looked like. The small child answered, "My mother is the most beautiful woman in the world." With that, the king gathered all of the beautiful women in the kingdom and lined them up. One by one, the boy shook his head no when asked, "Is this your mother?" and would remind the King, "No, no. My mother is the most beautiful woman in the world." The King was puzzled after the last beautiful woman in the kingdom was not his mother. He then summoned all of the beautiful women of the surrounding kingdoms to come to his town square. One by one, the boy continued to shake his head no and say again, "My mother is the most beautiful woman in the world." As this went on, a rather homely and plain looking woman with hand-mended clothing was pushing an apple cart down across the square. The young boy's excitedly ran to the woman and hugged her like he's never hugged anyone before. As the King watched the woman hugging her child he noticed her dirty face had the brightest and loveliest smile ever. At that moment the King understood that the boy's mother was indeed, the most beautiful woman in the world.