Once upon a time there lived a duke and his duchess in a distant fairyland. To their friends and all other people who knew them, they were the most affectionate couple in the fairyland. One day the duke and one of his servants disappeared mysteriously after going for a hunting trip up the mountains. Despite months of intensive searching, nothing could be found of the two men.
Forty years had passed since the duke's mysterious disappearance, and now the 8o-year-old duchess was lying sick in bed. Knowing that her days were numbered, she got her only son to her bedside to listen to her last words.
When her son arrived, she asked him draw a curtain, and lo, it revealed a painting. "That's your late father painted on the wall," she said, "Looking as if he were alive. I call that piece a wonder, now."
She added: "He had a heart — how shall I say? — too soon made glad, too easily impressed; he liked whate’er woman and man he looked on, and his looks went everywhere."
As she stared at the painting, she remembered how he was so afraid of her that he would never dare to lay eyes on any other women whenever they were together. However, she became angrier as she recalled how she discovered his affairs with the servant who was last seen together with him in the hunting trip. His all-out efforts in legalising same-sex marriage in the fairyland had raised her suspicion of his motive and finally, his sexual orientation. Whenever he looked at other men, she would fly into a rage. Poor duke, he was so afraid of her that he had nowhere but the ground to stare at whenever they were together with other people.
Looking at her son, she said: "Eventually, I gave commands; then all smiles stopped together. Since then I have kept his painting hidden behind a curtain that only I am allowed to draw back."
Gasping for breath, the duchess uttered her last words: "Dear son, remember to bury the painting in my coffin."
Forty years had passed since the duke's mysterious disappearance, and now the 8o-year-old duchess was lying sick in bed. Knowing that her days were numbered, she got her only son to her bedside to listen to her last words.
When her son arrived, she asked him draw a curtain, and lo, it revealed a painting. "That's your late father painted on the wall," she said, "Looking as if he were alive. I call that piece a wonder, now."
She added: "He had a heart — how shall I say? — too soon made glad, too easily impressed; he liked whate’er woman and man he looked on, and his looks went everywhere."
As she stared at the painting, she remembered how he was so afraid of her that he would never dare to lay eyes on any other women whenever they were together. However, she became angrier as she recalled how she discovered his affairs with the servant who was last seen together with him in the hunting trip. His all-out efforts in legalising same-sex marriage in the fairyland had raised her suspicion of his motive and finally, his sexual orientation. Whenever he looked at other men, she would fly into a rage. Poor duke, he was so afraid of her that he had nowhere but the ground to stare at whenever they were together with other people.
Looking at her son, she said: "Eventually, I gave commands; then all smiles stopped together. Since then I have kept his painting hidden behind a curtain that only I am allowed to draw back."
Gasping for breath, the duchess uttered her last words: "Dear son, remember to bury the painting in my coffin."
