What is his worth?

What is his worth?(c)

By Michael Casey

“What is his worth?” asked the King.

“He is  a she my Lord,”  replied the servant  as he removed the hat to reveal a woman’s face.

“How long has she been dead?” asked the King.

“Her body is still warm,  sire, ” replied the servant.

“But what is her worth, she was just a woman.” continued the King.

“ She suckled you when you were born, as your  mother the Queen was dry,” replied the servant.

“I don’t remember that,” replied the King.

“ It was  her who taught you to read, it was her who taught you Latin and the sciences.”

“So she was of  some service,” mused the King.

“ She  hid you when the castle was besieged, she dressed you as a little girl, she saved your young life,” continued the servant.

“So she was of some service,” mused the King.

“She ate the poison that was meant for you,” continued the servant.

“So she was of some service,” muttered the King.

“She cared for the King, your father in his last years, when his mind was gone, it was her who helped him keep his dignity,”   the servant said.

“So she was of some service,” muttered the King.

“She held your mother’s hand,  the Queen’s hand, during her dying days, while  you were away at war.” the servant added.

“So she was of some service,” spoke the King.

“She saved your son and heir, when he refused to come into this world naturally,  it was she who cut him out. It was she who saved you wife, the Queen too. It was she.”

“So she was of some service,”  spoke the King

“It was she who taught your son and heir how to read, it was she who taught him Latin and the Sciences,” continued the servant.

“So she was of some service,” spoke the King.

“I was she who saved your daughter’s  life, the Princess’s life when she fell in the river,” continued the servant.

“So she was of some service,” spoke the King.

“She did many more services for you Sire, too many too recount,” said the servant

The King looked down at the crumpled figure  of the old woman before him,  all these things this little woman, this mere woman had done. Now the memories came back to him. “What was his  worth” he had asked. But now, but now he knew,  this little old woman, crumpled up in death had  been a good and faithful servant. And he, and he, he had not had the eyes to see.

The King kneelt down and kissed her still warm cheek.

“Let he be buried in a place of honour, for I know her  worth”