Good evening, children.

It's Granny Madduff, ready with a story.

So make yourselves comfy, and I'll begin.

Once upon a time, there lived a most powerful and beloved king.

He was known for his great wisdom. He knew everything. It was as if all

secret things were brought to him on the wisp of a wind. No one knew how he did it. The king seemed as

normal as any other, Except for one strange thing.

Every night after supper, everyone was ordered to leave.

The king would sit and wait for a servant to bring him one last dish.

No one, including the servant, knew what it was, for it was always covered with a cloth.

Once the tray was set down in front of him, the king would wait until the servant had left.

And only when he was completely alone, would the king uncover what was in front of him?

This went on for years, until one day the servant who cleared the dish from the table

was so overcome with curiosity.

He carried the dish into his own room, locked the door, set it down and uncovered it.

There, on the silver tray, lay a white snake.

Sleeping, it looked at him through just one eye and smiled at him. The servant could not believe it. Then the snake

lifted its head up and opened its mouth. Out popped what looked like a small white egg.

The servant knew he was to eat it.

So he did.

And in fact, it wasn't an egg at all.

It was the most delicious chocolate he'd ever tasted in his life.

...