[Shard] - Sosaria
[Type] - Literature
[Book] - Purple - 40 pages

[Title] - A Plain Gold Ring
[Author] - Cabrakahn

[Page 1]
There was once a
young girl named
Carolyn. She adored
jewelry. She would
often accompany her
mother into town, and
while her mother
shopped for goods,

[Page 2]
Carolyn would go
around to the various
jewelry smiths in
town and see what
they had for sale.
She would find the
prettiest one, and point
it out to her mother,

[Page 3]
and beg her to buy it.
Her mother would
always tell her that
they couldn't afford
it.
This went on for
years, and Carolyn
grew up, but her taste

[Page 4]
for jewelry never
faded. She found that
she couldn't do without
it, and started taking
the jewelry she
wanted. She got it by
any means, even
stealing from those


[Page 5]
people whose shops
she went to and knew
her by name.
One day, a gypsy
wagon pulled into
town, selling all sorts
of goods. The old
woman driving the

[Page 6]
the wagon had a keen
eye, and would watch
those who looked at
her goods.
Everybody she saw
had a good heart, and
she dealt with them
fairly.

[Page 7]
This old gypsy woman
had an extensive
collection of jewelry
she had gathered
from the four corners
of the world. She was
proud of her
collection, and knew

[Page 8]
the secrets of each
piece.
Carolyn heard about
the gypsy's collection,
and knew that she had
to see it. And when
Carolyn approached,
the gypsy woman

[Page 9]
could see into her
heart and knew that
Carolyn would do
whatever she could to
posess her collection.
The old woman, not
wanting to hurt
Carolyn, but

[Page 10]
knowing that Carolyn
was hurting the town
where she lived,
decided to teach her a
lesson.
"Greetings child. I see
that you wish to view
my collection."

[Page 11]
"That I do, ma'am, and
nothing you can say
will dissuade
me."
"Why my dear girl, I
had no such thoughts."
"Oh? Then show me
your goods!"

[Page 12]
The gypsy woman
pulled out the cases
containing her
collection, and laid
them out for Carolyn
to see. Carolyn beheld
with her eyes such an
array of beautiful

[Page 13]
jewelry that hers
paled in comparison
and she knew that
she must possess it.
The gypsy woman
saw this desire,
and knew that this
was the time to act.

[Page 14]
"I see that somebody
finally appreciates
my collection. For
that, I will show you
my most prized piece."
The old woman pulled
out and opened a small
wooden box. Inside


[Page 15]
was a plain gold ring.
Carolyn had a keen eye
herself for precious
things and laughed.
"You must be daft to
believe that that ring
is of any value!"
"But it is the most

[Page 16]
valuable thing I own.
This ring has seen
more of this world
than even I, and
possesses a magic that
even the most potent
wizard has yet to
probe."

[Page 17]
Carolyn looked at it
warily, yet she knew
that the gypsy woman
spoke no falsehood.
"If that is true, then I
must have it!" Carolyn
stamped her foot
down.

[Page 18]
"Then it is yours," and
the woman offered up
the box. Carolyn
snatched the box out
of the woman's hands.
"Thank you."And with
that Carolyn walked
off calmly, forgetting

[Page 19]
about the rest of the
collection.The gypsy
woman smiled,
already seeing the
ring work it's magic.
Carolyn took the ring
back to her house, and
began to admire it.


[Page 20]
took the ring out of the
box and put it on her
ring finger. As she
held her hand out to
admire the ring, she
noticed that the other
rings she wore paled
next to her gift. She

[Page 21]
took them off and
wondered why she
thought they were
pretty. When she took
off the ring, she
placed it back in it's
box, knowing that the
ring was special and

[Page 22]
deserved to be placed
apart. She admired
the ring for weeks, all
the while the rest of
her jewelry seemed to
grow less beautiful
with each passing
day, until one day she

[Page 23]
wondered what she
ever saw in them. So
Carolyn went around
the town, returning
jewelry that she had
bought and stolen.
The shop owners
were so glad to have

[Page 24]
their stolen jewelry
back, they gave
Carolyn a gracious
reward for their
return. Carolyn, of
course lied about
where the pieces all
came from. She


[Page 25]
understood that the
glint of coin was more
impressive than the
glint of the jewelry.
Before too long, the
only piece of jewelry
she owned was her
gift, yet she yearned

[Page 26]
for the beauty she
saw in the gypsy's
collection, and that
that alone would be
worthy of her gift.
So Carolyn collected up
her money and set out
into the world, seeking

[Page 27]
out stories of the
gypsy and her
travelling wagon. She
wandered for many
years, following
stories of the woman
and her wonderful
collection. And in

[Page 28]
every place she went,
she saw people who
did not have what she
had. Carolyn saw that
they had more need of
the money than she,
so she gave. With
each coin she gave,

[Page 29]
she cared less about
the gypsy's collection
and more about the
magic of the ring. It
was on the day that
she had given away all
of her money, that
she had finally

[Page 30]
caught up with the old
woman.
"Ma'am, I have
wandered for many
years, trying to track
you down. At first, I
had planned upon
offering up all of my

[Page 31]
money so that I might
buy your collection of
jewelry. As I
travelled, I saw others
who could do better by
having the money than
I, and was left with
none. Now, all I wish

[Page 32]
is to know the magic
of the ring."
"Fear not my child.
While you have
wandered these many
years, I have kept my
ear out for tales of
you. When I first

[Page 33]
saw you, I saw only a
selfish and greedy
woman, caring only
for herself. As I look
at you now, I see that
there is a sincerity in
your soul. You have
given up all that you

[Page 34]
own and in the
process, you have
returned what you
had taken from
others. You have
found within
yourself a compassion
most genuine. Your

[Page 35]
search has taken you
upon the path I
followed. You have
seen the troubles I
have seen, and given
what you could.
Maybe now you can
see what true beauty

[Page 36]
is." With that the
old woman pulled out
the cases containing
her jewelry. Upon
opening it, Carolyn
saw that the pieces
contained within were
just ordinary looking

[Page 37]
pieces of jewelry.
Carolyn looked
shocked, and held out
her ring.
"What about the magic
in the ring?"
"The magic it held was
the ability to

[Page 38]
wearer how things
really looked. Here."
And the old gypsy
picked up a mirror and
showed Carolyn her
reflection. Carolyn
only saw herself, her
face creased with

[Page 39]
careworn lines.
"You may have
my collection. Do with
it as you see fit."
Carolyn took the
collection back to her
town, and sold it,
knowing that she

[Page 40]
would feel more
beautiful using the
money to help others,
than she would
wearing the jewelry.