There was, once upon a time, a princess of most extraordinary beauty, and although she kept herself in seclusion, her reputation had somehow spread, and many suitors came to her palace, hoping to be allowed least a glimpse of her. The princess did not allow herself to be seen, but her custom was to permit any suitor to submit a note, which an attendant brought to her in her private quarters.

Each day the attendant would read the notes to the princess, who listened thoughtfully, but rejected every one. “They are so immodest, so full of pride,” she said to her attendant, “Their words speak only of themselves. This is not the language of a lover.”

But one day, the attendant came with a note, and said, “You highness, perhaps this suitor is better. His note seems to show modesty.”

“Oh, yes?” said the princess “Read it to me.”

The attendant opened the note and read, “Your highness, this suitor is less than a grain of dust, too poor and full of faults to merit your attention, and to dare to write to you is certainly another fault–”

“Enough,” said the princess. “He is no better than the others.”

The attendant looked at her mistress in surprise. “But he casts himself at your feet, your highness. Is it not modesty?”

“He is speaking ONLY of his modesty,” said the princess. “If he were truly modest, he would not mention himself at all.”