The unremarkable knight

The unremarkable knight

In days of old
Through distant lands
Upon a hill
A castle stands

A king so strong and mighty
From his wrath the dragons run
A princess of such beauty
That her smile outshines the sun

Before the king
Three suitors stand
To beg fair princess
For her hand

The first was brave
And always true
Loyal and strong
In battle too

The second was wise
Beyond his years
In art and science
He had no peers

The third was unremarkable
And suffered from distraction
It could be said that in his head
Ne'er was thought before an action

King and counsel
In chambers met
Tradition bound
To challenge set

Of her beauty and my power
This quest will be a measure
So risk the wrath of injured pride
When you estimate this treasure

Wise man, witch and wizard,
In deference they resolved
To set a quest so difficult
It never could be solved

And to the three
It was revealed
The quest was set
Their fate was sealed

To find the only answer
Is your chosen task
To the most important question
One could ever ask

The first brave knight set forth
With armour, sword and shield
Determined that this answer
To his strength should yield

Fear and respect
To him were won
But still the answer
Did not come

The second wise knight chose weapons
Of scripture, teachings and thought
Wisdom would reveal
This answer that he sought

Knowledge and wisdom
By him were gained
Still question and answer
A puzzle remained

The third knight wandered aimlessly
He didn't know where to begin
The hand of that fair princess
He was sure he could not win

They came upon the time
To the castle they returned
And stood before the king
To see what they had learnt

The first knight knew no answer
And so the king chopped off his head
The second knight knew not either
Soon he too was dead

Do you know the answer
To the most important question
Was enquired of the third knight
They awaited his suggestion

With confidence he replied
For the answer wait no more,
I knew the answer all along
Quite simply it is four.

The wise man, witch and wizard
Were worried that perchance,
To challenge this third knight
Would reveal their ignorance

Of course. That's right.
They swiftly said
The answer is true
Let the couple be wed

After wedding and feast
Betrothen retired
The source of his knowledge
The princess enquired

To you my love
I must confess
It was just
A lucky guess