The Story of the Gold Ring (Part 3)

Lisa’s “one more day” with her ring turned into another week, another month, and another year.  Continually promising herself that “today would be the last”, she began to want more and more of the attention she got from wearing her ring, and wore it more often and for longer periods of time than before.  Eventually, the attention she got from her little village wasn’t enough for her.  The news of her expensive ring reached around the country.  Newspaper reporters wrote about her, radio announcers told of her, and television reporters wanted for have her on their shows.  People flocked to catch a glimpse of this young village girl who had become a celebrity overnight.  Lisa soaked in all this attention with seemingly incredible happiness.

                Despite her outward happiness, Lisa wasn’t truly satisfied.  Although she got worldwide attention and fame, deep inside she felt as if she had an empty hole that longed to be filled with something.  She wasn’t entirely sure what, but had a good idea it had to do with the name that was engraved in her ring.  Her father’s words about keeping the ring safe rattled in her head, but she knew she’d already disobeyed them and couldn’t do anything to change that.

As time wore on, Lisa’s ring began to tarnish more.  She had been so used to seeing it daily that she barely noticed it, but the journalists, reporters, and movie stars did, and they made sure that the whole world knew of the fading of the ring’s beauty.  One lonely night, after several years of slowly losing publicity, Lisa sat out on the street, alone and destitute, for her ring had tarnished to the point of losing nearly all its value and worth.  As she turned her now worthless ring over in her hands, Lisa was startled to find that the man’s name, which had been engraved on the inside of the ring, was, though a bit discolored, still legible.  She could still read the name of a man she didn’t even know, but somehow felt drawn to.  Lisa’s thoughts then turned to her father, whose eyes she imagined would have had extreme pain in them when he awoke one morning to find his daughter gone, having taken the ring with her.  Surely he knew what she was doing with the ring.  His all-knowing mind would have figured out, long ago, what his daughter had planned to do with her gift.  “How could I be so foolish?” Lisa thought to herself.  “If only I hadn’t touched it that one night nearly five years ago.  I would not be in this state today.”  Then she wondered what her father would say if she returned to him now and begged his forgiveness.  There would be no way he would forgive her now, with all that she’d done!

The Story of the Gold Ring (Part 2)

Lisa took her father’s advice to heart and put the precious ring, carefully, into a box and hid it away in her bedroom closet.  For some time, the ring lay safe and was unseen by the prying eyes of the world.  But unfortunately, as is what often happens, Lisa’s curiosity grew.  Each day she thought more and more about the ring until she was afraid she might die of suspense.  How long would it be until she could use it?  Why would her father give her this beautiful ring, and then tell her she must keep it hidden away?  She wanted so badly to wear the ring, to flaunt it on her hand, and to show the world how beautiful and special it was.  Lisa wanted the attention of people who would admire the beautiful work her father had done.

                One evening, after all the house had gone to bed, Lisa crept across the bedroom quietly, so she wouldn’t disturb her sleeping sister.  Opening the box with caution, Lisa peered in for another look at the ring.  The dazzling piece of jewelry sparkled before her eyes.  It looked so beautiful lying there in its velvet box!  “What a shame such a beautiful ring must lay here alone, in this wretched closet, unseen by people who might enjoy its grace and beauty!” Lisa thought to herself.  Knowing her father would not approve of her secret plan, Lisa decided she would hide the ring in her purse, just long enough to get out of the house and away from her father’s watchful eyes tomorrow morning.

                On leaving the house the next day, Lisa felt a twinge of guilt over the ring.  She had taken it with her against her father’s will.  “But,” she tried to reason with herself, “My father doesn’t realize how much excitement and fun this will bring me, if I could only just wear it outside one day!  After today, I will put the ring back in its hiding spot.  Father will never have to know.”

Once she had walked a considerable distance and was sure her father could no longer see her from the house, Lisa reached into her purse and slipped the ring on her finger.  She spent the better part of her day wandering around the town, hoping people would notice her gorgeous ring.  And notice they did!  It didn’t take long for Lisa to become a sort of celebrity.  News spread quickly through the little town about the Carpenter girl’s beautiful new piece of jewelry.  Lisa went home that evening quite satisfied with how much fun she’d gotten from flaunting her new ring.  As she placed the ring in its box later that night, the girl couldn’t help but notice a little bit of tarnish on the edges of her ring.  “That’s odd,” she thought her herself, “I only wore it for one day!”  Undaunted, however, she went to bed that night determined to allow herself one more day of fun with her ring.