Another Sad, Sad Tale of a Gift That Was, and Then Wasn't

(Like any sequel, this one is not near as good as the original.)

 I am sure, in reading the tale of the Christmas gift that never came, you asked yourself  "What did that miserable poor maiden get for Christmas?  Certainly she got something from her good husband." And the answer to your question, whether you asked it or not, is Yes, of course she got a present - a thoughtful and wise gift.  

After hearing his dear maiden call her bluetooth some of the same derogatory terms he had heard her call that small purse camera of hers, he decided to intervene, and possibly save the life of that tiny, helpless bluetooth.  So he purchased her an in-carriage bluetooth device, that attaches to the visor instead of on her ear.  It also converted her MP3 player to FM so the maiden's own ipod collection of  lyre music and minstrel's ballads could be played on the carriage radio.  Sure, it didn't take great pictures, thus not helping the torturous dilemma on Christmas morning, but it was a great gift, nonetheless.

So she brought it with her on the long ride to her Queen-in-law's house on Christmas Day hoping the new gadget would prove a distraction from the thoughts of the days events, and the pictures that might have been.  She managed to tear open the impossible plastic packaging, and pulled out device and the accompanying cords, instructions, papers, and pieces.  Distraught, and not being a technically minded maiden in the first place, she became overwhelmed but the tangle of chords, and techno-lingo instructions, and quickly gave up trying to sync her cell phone to the device.  (This is the same maiden who was given an XM satellite radio receiver for her Christmas last year, and it sat there until she got it installed as her birthday present 6 months later.)

The new Christmas present, and its parts remained splayed all over the front seat and dashboard of the Maiden's carriage, like the guts of a slain dragon, until well past the new year.   Finally, when the maiden came to her senses, and got past some of the grief over her lost camera, she realized that she had shamefully neglected the gift she had received, she remembered what her neglect had done in the past, and decided to take action, before it was again too late. So she shoved the device, and all of it's accompanying papers and pieces back into the torn open plastic packaging, so as not to lose all the pieces, and left it on the front seat, hopefully to be pulled out and used later.

Days passed, and then today, on this very day, the maiden had to take a long carriage journey to the far off land to Loma Linda Castle, with her brave knight, Dylan.  She grabbed her cell phone because she had a zillion phone calls to make on the ride.  But, search as she might, she could not find her old, little bluetooth anywhere!  Now, when she needed him, she discovered that he was gone.  Perhaps having grown weary of the name calling and badgery from the maiden, and knowing he had been replaced, the little bluetooth, now more blue than ever, had apparently run off with the pocket camera. 

 When would she ever learn?  Her despair was short lived, however, when the maiden remembered her new suitor, the Christmas gift blue tooth waiting patiently in the front seat for her to return.  She was saved!  She knew with a little love and patience, she would have a newer handsomer blue tooth installed and ready to use on her journey.

Rushing out to the carriage, she discovered that the package was not there.  Desperately she searched the seat of the carriage, and her little cottage as well, but it was not to be found.  Time was running short.  She had to get Knight Dylan to Loma Linda Castle before the stroke of midday.  She ran in and asked her husband where the Christmas gift was, where was the new bluetooth.  He declared that he hadn't seen it.  She exclaimed that she had put it all back into the plastic package so that she would not misplace all the pieces, as she had been heretofore done.  

"You put it all back in the packaging, you say?" asked her dear husband for clarification.

"Yes, of course!  Have you seen it?"

The husband's face fell as realization set in, and a cloud of agony lighted on his brow.  "Oh my dear.  All is lost.  I have thrown it away!  I have thrown it away."  Apparently, as he was taking the trash cans down the driveway to prepare for the coming of the great garbage trucks, he had most kindly leaned into the carriage to remove all the trash  that had accumulated therein.  Seeing the torn open plastic packaging on the front seat, he took it for garbage and tossed it into the can, the very same can that was later was dumped into the belly of the great garbage beast.  

Sadly, the love affair was ended before it had begun!  

The Christmas gift that was, was no more!

The husband, was most broken up about what he had done.  After all, it was his own hard earned money he had used to purchase the gift.  But alas, the misfortune of the maiden was not his fault.

Such is the luck if the fair maiden, or rather, such is what she deserved for not appreciating the gift  her loving husband had thoughtfully given her rather than pining hopelessly over the gift that could not be.

And thus ends the sad, sad tale of the gift that was, then wasn't.