What Women Want

James Koo

To Winnie on Valentine's Day.

I seldom see or watch a movie. However, when the movie "What Women Want" came to Hong Kong, with specialty on Wine, and Women, I went to see that movie. While enjoyed the movie, I am in no position to comment on any movie including this one. It is best left to Prof. S. S. Lau. However, this movie does remind me a story with the same name: What Women Want.

A young, handsome prince of a defeated nation was captured and was to be beheaded. The queen mother of the victorious nation took the pity on him and told him that she will give him a year to find out the answer to the question "What Women Want," fail to do so he will be executed.

For a year, the handsome young prince consulted women young and old for the answer but he found none would be acceptable. Then a wise man came forward saying that an old witch would know the answer. The prince went to see the witch, an old, ugly, wrinkled, shriveled, hunchback, and smelly witch with dirty, raggedy clothes. The witch guaranteed an answer but the price is that Arthur, the most handsome knight of his court would have to marry her. The prince would not think of it, and left. The day before the deadline, the prince was still without an answer. He would rather face death than to have his best friend marrying that old witch. Then the knight Arthur found about this and went without hesitation to the old witch and said he would marry her if the answer were accepted. The old witch whispered the answer in his ear. The next day, the prince told the answer to the queen mother. The queen was so impressed with the answer; she said she would let him marry her daughter, the lovely princess. 

The whole nation started to celebrate, but the prince and his best friend knight Arthur. They tried to drown themselves in wine preparing what is to happen. Finally, the gallant handsome knight stood up and pick up the old, ugly, wrinkled, smelly witch and carried her to their wedding bed. Across the threshold, the midnight bell tolled. The witch suddenly turned into a most beautiful young supple maiden. She then asked the handsome knight if he would like her be a beautiful maiden either during the night for him alone, or in the day for others to see. Remember what the witch told him, Arthur said I would let you decide. The young beautiful maiden replied "Given the choice, I will choose to be beautiful all day and all night." The handsome knight and the most beautiful maiden were happily married ever after.

I deduced the moral of the story is that unless you let her make all the decisions, you will marry to an old, ugly, wrinkled, smelly witch either during the day, or night, or both. Therefore after I carried her crossed the threshold, Winnie, my wife makes all the decisions, and is always right. And she is my beautiful maiden unless I should forget what the witch said.