View source for A Plain Gold Ring

'''Title: A Plain Gold Ring '''

'''Author: Cabrakahn '''


There was once a 
young girl named 
Carolyn.  She adored 
jewelry.  She would 
often accompany her 
mother into town, and 
while her mother 
shopped for goods, 
Carolyn would go 
around to the various 
jewelry smiths in 
town and see what 
they had for sale.  
She would find the 
prettiest one, and point 
it out to her mother, 
and beg her to buy it.  
Her mother would 
always tell her that 
they couldn't afford 
it.

This went on for 
years, and Carolyn 
grew up, but her taste 
for jewelry never 
faded.  She found that 
she couldn't do without 
it, and started taking 
the jewelry she 
wanted. She got it by 
any means, even 
stealing from those 
people whose shops 
she went to and knew 
her by name.

One day, a gypsy 
wagon pulled into 
town, selling all sorts 
of goods.  The old 
woman driving the the wagon had a keen 
eye, and would watch 
those who looked at 
her goods.
Everybody she saw 
had a good heart, and 
she dealt with them 
fairly.

This old gypsy woman 
had an extensive 
collection of jewelry 
she had gathered 
from the four corners 
of the world.  She was 
proud of her 
collection, and knew 
the secrets of each 
piece.  

Carolyn heard about 
the gypsy's collection, 
and knew that she had 
to see it.  And when 
Carolyn approached, 
the gypsy woman 
could see into her 
heart  and knew that 
Carolyn would do 
whatever she could to 
posess her collection. 
The old woman, not
wanting to hurt 
Carolyn, but 
knowing that Carolyn 
was hurting the town 
where she lived, 
decided to teach her a 
lesson.

"Greetings child.  I see 
that you wish to view 
my collection."
"That I do, ma'am, and 
nothing you can say 
will dissuade 
me."

"Why my dear girl, I 
had no such thoughts." 

"Oh?  Then show me 
your goods!"

The gypsy woman 
pulled out the cases 
containing her 
collection, and laid 
them out for Carolyn 
to see.  Carolyn beheld 
with her eyes such an
array of beautiful 
jewelry that hers 
paled in comparison 
and  she knew that 
she must possess it.  
The gypsy woman 
saw this desire, 
and knew that this 
was the time to act.
"I see that somebody 
finally appreciates 
my collection.  For 
that, I will show you 
my most prized piece." 
The old woman pulled 
out and opened a small 
wooden box.  Inside 
was a plain gold ring.
Carolyn had a keen eye 
herself for precious 
things and laughed. 

"You must be daft to 
believe that that ring 
is of any value!" 

"But it is the most 
valuable thing I own.  
This ring has seen 
more of this world 
than even I, and 
possesses a magic that 
even the most potent 
wizard has yet to 
probe." 

Carolyn looked at it 
warily, yet she  knew 
that the gypsy woman 
spoke no falsehood.
"If that is true, then I 
must have it!"  Carolyn 
stamped her foot 
down. 

"Then it is yours," and
the woman offered up 
the box.  Carolyn 
snatched the box out 
of the woman's hands. 
"Thank you."And with 
that Carolyn walked  
off calmly, forgetting 
about the rest of the 
collection. The gypsy 
woman smiled, 
already seeing the 
ring work it's magic.  
Carolyn took the ring 
back to her house, and 
began to admire it. 

She took the ring out of the 
box and put it on her 
ring finger. As she 
held her hand out to 
admire the ring, she 
noticed that the other 
rings she wore paled  
next to her gift.  She 
took them off and 
wondered why she 
thought they were 
pretty. When she took 
off the ring, she 
placed it back in it's 
box, knowing that the 
ring was special and 
deserved to be placed 
apart.  She admired 
the ring for weeks, all 
the while the rest of 
her jewelry seemed to 
grow less beautiful 
with each passing 
day, until one day she 
wondered what she 
ever saw in them. So 
Carolyn went around 
the town, returning 
jewelry that she had 
bought and stolen.  
The shop owners 
were so  glad to have 
their stolen jewelry 
back, they gave 
Carolyn a gracious 
reward for their 
return.  Carolyn, of 
course lied about 
where the pieces all 
came from.  She 
understood that the 
glint of coin was more 
impressive than the 
glint of the jewelry. 
Before too long, the 
only piece of jewelry 
she owned was her 
gift, yet she yearned 
for the beauty she 
saw in the gypsy's 
collection, and that 
that alone would be 
worthy of her gift. 

So Carolyn collected up 
her money and set out 
into the world, seeking 
out stories of the 
gypsy and her 
travelling wagon.  She 
wandered for many 
years, following 
stories of the woman 
and her wonderful 
collection. And in 
every place she went, 
she saw people who 
did not have what she 
had.  Carolyn saw that 
they had more need of 
the money than she, 
so she gave.  With 
each coin she gave, 
she cared less about 
the gypsy's collection 
and more about the 
magic of the ring.  It 
was on the day that 
she had given away all 
of her money, that 
she had finally 
caught up with  the old 
woman.

"Ma'am, I have 
wandered for many 
years, trying to track 
you down.  At first, I 
had planned upon 
offering up all of my 
money so that I might 
buy your collection of 
jewelry.  As I 
travelled, I saw others 
who could do better by 
having the money than 
I, and was left with 
none.  Now, all I wish 
is to know the magic 
of the ring."

"Fear not my child.  
While you have 
wandered these many 
years, I have kept my 
ear out for tales of 
you.  When I first 
saw you, I saw only a 
selfish and greedy 
woman, caring only 
for herself.  As I look 
at you now, I see that 
there is a sincerity in 
your soul. You have 
given up all that you 
own and in the 
process, you have 
returned what you 
had taken from 
others. You have 
found within 
yourself a compassion 
most genuine.  Your 
search has taken you 
upon the path I 
followed.  You have 
seen the troubles I 
have seen, and given 
what you could.  
Maybe now you can 
see what true beauty 
is."  With that the 
old woman pulled out 
the cases containing 
her jewelry.  Upon 
opening it, Carolyn 
saw that the pieces 
contained within were 
just ordinary looking
pieces of jewelry.  
Carolyn looked 
shocked, and held out 
her ring. 

"What about the magic 
in the ring?"

"The magic it held was 
the ability to show the wearer how things 
really looked. Here."  
And the old gypsy 
picked up a mirror and 
showed Carolyn her 
reflection. Carolyn 
only saw herself, her 
face creased with 
careworn lines.

"You may have 
my collection.  Do with 
it as you see fit." 

Carolyn took the 
collection back to her 
town, and sold it, 
knowing that she would feel more 
beautiful using the 
money to help others, 
than she would 
wearing the jewelry.


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[[Category:Fiction]]