Princess Abby and
The River of Tears

In a crystal palace,
on a crystal hill,
lived a princess named Abby
and a king named Bill.

Princess Abby was not
what you'd call a great beauty.
But to find her a husband
was King Bill's duty.

He scoured the land
for a suitable suitor;
Even placed a small ad
in The Weekly Intruder.

Not a single fine prince,
nor even a bum,
came calling to marry
the princess, not one.

King Bill, how he fretted.
And the princess, she fumed.
She was sure she'd get married.
She'd always assumed

that people looked deeper
than just on the surface.
She never knew people
could be cruel on purpose.

So she went to her window
and announced to the land
that no man was worthy
of asking her hand.

For no man was willing
to swallow his pride,
to look deeper than looks;
to look deep inside.

And then Princess Abby
did a curious thing.
She stared at the sky
and she started to sing.

Her voice was so lovely,
the sky was reborn.
She sang until dusk
and she cried until morn.

And her tears formed a river
made purely of magic.
But the town soon found out
that the river was tragic.

It washed off their beauty
and ruined their faces,
all 'cause their hearts
were not in the right places.

So now all the people
who'd bathed in its sin
turned as ugly outside
as they were within.

And sweet Princess Abby
was the only one left
whose beauty was envied
because of its depth.


(C) 1998, Arden Davidson