There was once a kingdom run by a very handsome, rich, but arrogant prince called Alan. His father was very sick and so he could not run the kingdom. Women all over the kingdom would dream about being his princess. They all swooned when they saw him. Women were always trying to catch his attention. Every night he had a pick of women to share his bed as the women tried all sorts of things to make him love them.
There was a forest far from the castle that had a meadow. In the meadow, there was a cottage where a pretty maiden named May lived. She made butter and cheese which was the best quality in the kingdom. Her butter and cheese were sought after by everybody with people travelling miles to come to buy her produce.
One day Alan was riding to a neighbouring kingdom passing through the forest with his knights when his horse threw a shoe. While he waited for the horseshoe to be put back on he asked for food. His party had not carried food because it was only a short ride so he ordered some of them to go look for food in the forest.
The knights went into the forest and while searching for fruits and games to cook they discovered the cottage. They knocked and when May opened the door they asked for food and water. May gave them some bread with cheese and butter. The knights thanked her and took the food to the prince.
Alan was hungry and when he ate the food he declared he had never eaten anything so delicious. He gave the knights money to go buy all the cheese and butter that May had. When he went to the neighbouring kingdom he gave out the cheese and butter to the king as a gift. The king loved the fare so much he gave Alan a small chest of gold.
The prince went back to his kingdom a very happy man. The next day he was feeling hungry so he asked a knight to take him to buy more cheese and butter. May told him that she had sold all the butter and cheese the day before. Alan would have to wait until she had gotten more milk to make it. She only had one cow so it took time to get enough milk to make the cheese and butter.
When the prince got back he sent his knights to take five other cows as a gift to May. May was very happy. She prayed to God and thanked him for her blessings. She also said a blessing for the prince. With the added cows she was able to make more butter and cheese. The entire consignment she sold to the palace.
The prince loved to eat this butter and cheese with bread. Every day he ate some. When visitors came to the kingdom they would fall in love with the butter and cheese and ask to carry some.
One day Alan was thinking about how May’s talents for churning have been good for him. He decided that he should bring her to the palace to be his companion. Mary was a beautiful woman and he thought she would be happy to be his mistress. He asked the knights to give her the news and bring her to the palace. She told them she wasn’t interested in being the mistress of the prince.
Alan was mad. He knew he was a catch and he could not accept that a simple maiden would refuse his advances. He started sending her flowers, and gifts to woo her. She sent all the gifts back. He got more and angrier when she spurned his advances.
The prince ordered his knights to go to the cottage and bring May to the castle by force. When she was brought before him he asked “why are you refusing to be my companion? Do you know what an honour that it is to become my mistress?”
“Your highness I am a Christian woman. I don’t believe in having sex before marriage. I don’t care if you are a prince. God would not be happy with me for doing such a thing. It is a sin. I will not do it. I would rather die or go to prison!” May said.
Alan was furious. “Which God is this? There is no authority in this kingdom above me and my father. You are playing with fire.”
He called the guards and told them to put May in the dungeon until she changed her mind. He called his magician and asked him to tell him about this God that May worshipped. His magician told him that this God had a book that people read. He asked for one and The Bible was brought to him. He thought it didn’t look that interesting so he dumped it next to his bed.
One night when he couldn’t sleep he saw the book and started reading it. He found it so interesting that he read it throughout the night. He called his magicians in the morning and asked them to explain the book to him. They couldn’t explain the meanings of some of the stories.
He asked for May to be brought to him. He told her to explain the stories in the book to him. She explained them to him. He was so happy that now he understood what the book was about. He pardoned May and let her go home.
Six months later the Prince became a Christian after reading the Bible. He had changed his life and was now living a godly life. He became a better prince and stopped being so arrogant. Everybody in the kingdom was happy.
Alan loved being a Christian. He felt better about his life. But something was missing. He felt lonely because he had no one to talk to about God. His knights and subjects still worshipped their false gods and he could not force them to become Christians. One day he had an idea. He would go to May.
He rode out with two of his knights to May’s cottage in the forest. May was outside pounding milk into butter. She looked so beautiful working. The prince approached May. He wasn’t sure he would be welcome. May smiled at him when she saw him.
“May, would you please forgive me? I am sorry for what I did. Can we be friends?” the prince said.
May told him “I forgive you. Jesus said we should forgive seventy times seven times.”
Alan asked May to explain to him things that he did not understand. Once a week he would come to her home to learn more about the Bible. He always came with a knight or two so that he would protect her reputation.
ONE YEAR LATER
The king died. The prince became the King. He decreed that now that he was the king the Kingdom would be the Christian Kingdom. He realized that he could not rule the kingdom alone. He prayed about it and the answer came to him.
Alan went to the royal jeweller and asked him to create for him a beautiful ring. It was a gold ring inset with rubies and diamonds. When it was ready he went to the florist and ordered a big bouquet of flowers. He had also instructed the baker to make for him a picnic basket full of delicious things.
He rode to the forest with his two knights. He went to the cottage and knocked. May opened the door and was surprised to see him. It was not their usual day for meeting so she was not expecting him.
“Hallo. Can we talk? I need to speak to you!”
May asked him in. he entered and sat down on a chair. They made some small talk…
Then May said “am surprised that you have come to see me. Now that you’re the king I didn’t think you would have time for me anymore.”
Alan the prince said, “That’s what I have come to talk to you about. Now that I am King I don’t have time to visit you. I have loved talking to you and growing as a Christian.”
“May, I need to ask you something. I know I hurt you when I threw you in the dungeon. Can you ever really forgive me?”
May laughed and said, “I already forgave you. That is old news. I let it go! If that’s what you’re worried about don’t worry about it.”
“Thank God for that. Now I have another question. It’s a very important question and I would be very glad to get your answer. I know I was very arrogant and selfish when I asked you to be my mistress. I am now glad that you refused. I had been spoilt by my position and all the women around me. I now realize that’s not what I need,” said Alan.
“What I need is a wife. I have prayed about it. I need a woman who is beautiful, hardworking, and principled. A woman who is willing to die for her beliefs and values. A woman like you. May will you do me the honour of marrying me?” Andrew took the ring out of his pocket and gave it to May.
May was shocked but delighted. She had been praying for a Godly husband. She had fallen in love with the prince but knew he was above her class so there was no chance of them getting married.
May said, “Yes, I will marry you!”
Alan the King and May got married 3 months later. There was a big celebration and royalty from many far kingdoms came to the wedding hoping to eat some of the famous May cheese and butter and carry some. The celebrations for the wedding lasted three days. The wedding was talked about for a very long time.
After that God blessed the King and Queen with 2 sons and 3 daughters whom they raised in a Godly fashion. They lived happily ever after. The favour of God was with them and they lived to a ripe old age. They would tell their grandchildren about their story. It was their grandchildren’s favourite story.
