The Happy Couple

　　A long time ago， there was a happy prince and princess in a country. They took care of and loved each other very much， and their country was happy， too. Therefore they didn‘t envy anything else. There was one thing they worried about. They wanted to make sure they could live happily forever like this

　　One day， one of the subjects found out the couple’s worry and told them， “Prince， I heard that there is a magic charm， and it can protect you from any unfortunate event. If you always carry the magic charm with you， your fear and worry will disappear.” “Is it true？ Where can I find that charm？” The prince asked him joyfully. “There is an old man in the forest， and he knows about everything. You can ask him.”

　　The couple visited the old man， and asked for help with their worries and fears. The old man nodded his head as if he knew everything and said， “Travel all around the world. Then， when you meet a very happy couple， ask them to cut a piece of their underwear. If you keep the piece of the underwear， your fear and worry will go away.”

　　The couple appreciated the old man‘s kindness and set out on the journey. The couple wandered around everywhere and heard about a happy knight and his wife of one town. They went to visit the knight. “Are you really happy like the rumor？” Then the knight answered. “Of course， we are， Prince. But our only worry and problem is that we didn’t have any children.”

　　They had to find an absolutely happy couple， so they continued their journey. They visited a happy couple who were famous for their happiness in the next town. And they asked the couple if they were really happy. The couple answered. “Yes， we are very happy. But we have too many children. A mother with a large brood never has a peaceful day. We worry too much about our children.”

　　They could not get a magic charm this time too， and kept going on their trip. It was very hard to find the happiest couple in the world. One day， the prince couple met a shepherd and his wife in a big field.

　　The shepherd was playing a flute and driving a herd of sheep， and his wife took their two children to him. As soon as the shepherd saw his family， he ran to them directly. He kissed and embraced each of them by turns. They sat in a circle and had lunch after the wife had prepared it.

　　The prince couple watched for a while and approached them. “Excuse me. You look so happy！” The shepherd smiled and said， “Sure， any king or queen can never be happier than we are.”

　　The prince couple thought that they finally found what they were looking for. “I am sorry， but could you please cut a piece of your underwear for us？” The prince couple asked them very politely， but the shepherd couple felt confused and said， “Of course we would like to help you， but we don‘t wear any underwear.”

　　In the end， the couple set out on their journey again with nothing. Finally they came back to their home because they were so tired， and because they couldn’t find the magic charm too. As soon as they came back to their country， they visited the old man. The prince told their story to the old man and asked him. “Why did you make us suffer from the long trip for a charm which doesn‘t even exist？” The old man smiled and said， “Well， do you really think your trip was a vain effort？ Think about it carefully. While you were traveling around， you learned many things about how other people live， didn’t you？”

　　The prince thought to himself for a while and said， “Ah， now I understand. You mean that true happiness is up to yourself.” The prince‘s wife smiled and nodded her head. The happy couple held their hands and looked in each other’s eyes.

　　The old man said as he watched them. “The true magic charm that you are searching for is in your mind. Keep it carefully from now on. Then， you‘ll never be unhappy with whatever comes your way.”

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