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So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. (vv. 6--7)


There once was a young princess who never laughed. She wouldn't even smile. As her parents, the king and queen brought jesters and other entertainers to the castle to try to make her laugh, promising gold if they did. None of their funny faces or silly costumes ever made her laugh. She didn't even crack a smile.

Now, near the castle lived a poor woman and her son. They were near starvation, so the poor woman said to her son, "Go to the castle and see if they will give you a job."

The boy very diligently went to the castle to find work. He was strong, but not very bright. The first day he went to work at the royal chicken coop. All day he gathered eggs. At the end of the day, the royal chicken keeper gave him some fresh eggs to take home. The boy carried them in his hands as he walked home, but he didn't watch where he was going. He tripped on a rock, and the eggs flew into the air. He tried to catch the eggs as he was falling, but he missed them all. Some even landed on his head. The princess witnessed the entire episode, but she didn't laugh.

When he got home with egg all over his face, his mother asked, "Why didn't you carry the eggs in your hat? They would have been safe, and you probably wouldn't have tripped because you could watch where you were going."

The next day, the boy went back to the castle to work. They sent him to the royal dairy. He milked cows all day, and when he was finished the royal cow keeper gave him a pail of fresh milk to take home. Remembering that his mother told him to carry the eggs in his hat, he poured the milk into his hat to carry it home! The princess saw him with his leaky hat of milk. She still didn't laugh.

His mother yelled at him when he got home, "Why did you pour it in your hat? You should have carried the pail in your hands!"

The next day the boy went back to the castle. This time they sent him to the swineherd to help feed the royal pigs. He fed the pigs all day, and then at the end of the day, he was given a squirmy little pig to take home.

The princess looked out of her window, and saw the silly boy trying to carry the pig in his hands, muttering, "My mother told me to carry it in my hands." She watched as the pig squirmed out of his hands and ran away. The silly boy chased the pig, but the princess still didn't laugh.

When he got home, his mother chastised him, and told him, "You should have pulled the pig home with a rope tied around its neck!"

The next day the boy worked in the castle kitchen washing dishes. When he was done, the royal cook gave him a great big fish to take home to his mother. Remembering his mother's advice, he tied a rope around the fish and dragged it home. Cats followed behind him and ate the fish as he walked. The princess saw all this from her window, but she still didn't smile.

Once again at home, his mother advised him. She said, "We have nothing to eat! If only you had carried the fish on your shoulder."

So the next day the boy went to the castle and went to work cleaning the royal barn. He worked so hard that the royal cow keeper gave him a cow to take home. The boy was so excited because they would have milk every day. He remembered what his mother said about carrying the fish on his shoulder, so he got down on his hands and knees and crawled under the cow. He tried to stand up with the cow on his shoulder.

The princess witnessed this strange sight, and she burst out laughing. She laughed so loudly that the king and the queen ran to her room. Upon discovering that the boy made her laugh, the king and queen invited the boy and his mother to live in the castle and keep the princess laughing. They were never poor again.

So many times we try to do the right thing but end up making a mistake. Because God is a God of grace, often things will eventually work out all right. However, the mistakes can prove so costly in the meantime.