The Royal Sock

“AAAAAHHHHH.” The shrieking of the King shook the entire castle. The vassal came running. “What is it, your Royal Highness?”

“My sock! My sock! There’s a hole in my sock. It is my favorite sock.

It is a royal sock.

Why are you still standing here?” yelled the King. “Do something at once!”

“Don’t fret, your Royal Highness,” said the King’s vassal. “I will buy you a new sock.” The vassal searched high and low, but could not find a single sock that looked exactly like the King’s royal sock.

“Find me someone who can mend this sock. It is a royal sock. It is my favorite sock,” said the King. “Why are you still standing here? Do something.”

The vassal ran from village to village but could not find a single mender who would dare fix the King’s favorite royal sock.

“You cannot find anyone to mend the royal sock?” raged the King. “There must be a magician, a sorcerer somewhere who can fix it. It is my favorite sock. It has a hole. Why are you still standing here? Do something!”

The vassal summoned all the magicians and sorcerers to the castle. They were all afraid to fix the King’s sock. All but one.

“I know how to make the sock whole again,” said the young magician. “But it is difficult. First, you must give me ten gold coins. And another ten gold coins when I succeed,” he said. “By the way,” he said, “To fix the hole perfectly, I need to compare it with the matching sock. If you don’t mind.”

The young magician stood before the King. “You have three attempts,” said the King. “If you don’t succeed it’s off to jail with you. Or worse. What are you waiting for?”

“Abracadabra,” said the young magician, as he placed the sock with the hole into the pocket of his trousers. “Magic, take the hole and make it whole.” He stuck his hand deep into his pocket and slowly pulled out a …

Rabbit.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “The magic is difficult. I will try harder.”
“You had better,” said the King.

“Abracadabra,” said the young magician. “Hole, now is the time to become whole.” He put his hand deeper into his pocket and slowly drew out a…

Carrot.

The rabbit was happy but the King was angrier than ever. “Where is the royal sock, you fool? You have only one more chance,” said the King. A perfect royal sock, or else!”

“Abracadabra,” whispered the young man, nervously as he reached deep, deep, deeper into his pocket. “Hole, be gone and disappear. The perfect sock,you see is…

HERE! The hole had magically disappeared! The sock was perfect!

The magician smiled and gave the sock to the King. The King smiled as he gave the young magician another ten gold coins. The vassal danced a jig. A holiday was proclaimed throughout the land.

The next day the King called for the vassal. “I would like to wear my royal socks, but I can only find the one that the magician fixed. Where is the other sock? Why are you standing here? Do something.” The vassal looked for it high and low but it had disappeared.

And strangely enough, so had the magician.