The Princess at The Ball

A Short Story

Life is tough.
Charles Wiley, YES-Club speaker,
(www.yes-club.org)

People of high social rank and position, such as kings, queens, princes, princesses, dukes, duchesses, earls and others have to stick to social conventionalities which their ranks impose on them. For example, they have to be present at dinner parties, balls, meetings of various kinds, and other official ceremonies and occasions. They have to behave in a special official manner, say official and polite things, and follow all the rules of common courtesy and social etiquette.
But viscounts, viscountesses, marquesses, marquises, counts, countesses and others are only human, and can too get tired of and even bored with all these procedures, which are sometimes quite boring and tiresome. They may not want to go to balls, but be quiet instead, yet they have to. So all these things may turn out to be a burden for them, rather than a pleasure.
Once there lived a princess who was quite a young and pretty lady. Like any other princess, she had to go to balls, as well as to other official occasions, and receive high-ranking guests. Now there was a ball for her to go to.
When the princess entered the ballroom, it was already full: there were a lot of people present. The princess started making her way towards the throne.
She was dressed up and had a beautiful hairdo which was very becoming to her. There was a neat little crown on her head. The princess was wearing a long, low-cut white evening gown. Its skirt was wide and so long that it could reach and touch the floor: the princess was just floating across the ballroom. She looked really charming and attractive.
As the princess approached the throne, she stopped and began receiving guests. The name of each guest was announced out loud by a special servant, and they all came up to her one by one to give their greetings, bow and kiss her royal hand.
The princess would listen politely to what they had to say to her, with a gentle smile and an open face, nod her head and bow in reply.
Among her guests there was a foreigner from an oriental country. The princess listened to him, but must have failed to understand his words. There was also an elderly couple whom the princess greeted very politely, bowing to the woman.
While receiving guests in this manner, the princess had some problems with one of her shoes. She had nice little white silk shoes on, which were apparently too tight for her, or something. Anyway, one of her feet must have been hurting badly, because from time to time she would lift it out of the shoe, then put it back into the shoe again, thus rendering her posture not very steady.
Finally, a shoe which she had taken off, fell over on its side, and the princess gave a start. Somebody supported her, and she steadied herself with effort. Her shoes were practically unseen under her long skirt, so nobody could identify the lady’s trouble and misfortune.
The princess continued receiving guests, exercising her usual calm and self-control with supreme effort. Meanwhile, she was trying to put her shoe on again, but in vain.
At last there were no more guests to greet, and the princess had to sit down on the throne. She took a few steps backwards towards the throne, her lost shoe remained lying on the floor. The princess sat down on the throne.
The music was heard being played in the ballroom. One old gentleman of high military rank invited the princess to dance. She rose to her feet. The lost shoe disappeared under the long skirt of her fancy dress. The princess must have managed to put it on somehow, for when she went dancing with the old gentleman, there was nothing lying near the throne. And while dancing, the princess moved quite gracefully.
So we can see that for people of high rank it’s very important to stick to social conventions and manners and follow all the rules of social etiquette. Sometimes they have to sacrifice their own convenience and even health for the sake of this and endure things which can be quite unpleasant. But, nevertheless people with high social positions have to cope with their problems and look cheerful and smile all the same, like the princess who succeeded in coping with her difficulty.