The golden ball splashed down, sinking into the murky well water instead of landing back into his hands. This time, he was a few seconds too slow to intercept it. His preferred form of play was to sit at the edge of the well and throw the golden ball up into the air and catch it again while projecting its downwards trajectory. On warm summer days, the prince traipsed into the woods to play near a willow tree, under which an ancient stone well resided. His parents, out of concern for his well-being, commissioned a golden ball for his birthday to encourage him to play outside for a few hours each day. But, the prince preferred to stay indoors and study dusty tomes by the fireside. All who saw him were enchanted every time he came out into the sunshine. The youngest prince was so fair and brilliant that he turned heads once with his beautiful appearance and once more with his sharp wit. Long ago, in a distant kingdom, there lived a King whose children were all exceptional.
