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The Tell Tale Jewel

The king's chief advisers were greatly dismayed
Because their young monarch was cruelly betrayed,
Though affairs of state his bright mind could conceive,
That his wife was faithless he would not believe.

She was an intelligent beautiful mate,
But her errant ways they could not tolerate,
The king's passion for her they could not efface,
So Wolfgang Von Dietrich was put on the case.

Aware that her highness did not suffer fools,
He asked her to bring to him the royal jewels,
A pigeon blood ruby the Gods smiled upon,
An exquisite cat's eye obtained from Ceylon,
And of all the jewels he chose alexandrite,
Requested she wear it when sleeping that night.

With solemn intent he addressed the young king,
"Advised that the stone was a magical thing,
Although emerald green that it would change to red
If his wife proved faithless to him," Wolfgang said.

Lighting the room while the shapely queen slept,
The king watched the jewel turn red and he wept;
He banished his wife to a far distant shore,
Never to see her fair face anymore.

The counselors asked Wolfgang, "What made the stone change?"
Von Dietrich replied that, "although it was strange,
The jewel from Ceylon known as alexandrite,
That was emerald green in the golden sun bright,
Changed color to red in unnatural light."

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