Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young Princess, and all the people in the land said she was the most beautiful princess in the world. She desired ever so much to meet a prince as handsome as she was pretty, and as charming as she was sweet, and just as perfect a Prince as she was a Princess.
When she grew old enough to marry, her father the King brought forth a suitor. He was handsome enough, but too short, so she turned him down.
The next prince was tall, but had a big nose, so she sent him away, too.
The next prince was tall and handsome, but laughed like a goat, so she told her father that he would not do either.
One suitor was tall, handsome, charming, and seemed perfect, until she learned he was just a duke and not a prince at all.
Every prince from every land had something wrong with him, and she just could not bear to settle for less than she deserved. Some were too fat, others too thin. Some too old, others too young. Some had funny voices or big ears, or big noses (though none so large as the first big-nosed prince's had been)
One day, while she was sitting by the fountain in the royal gardens, a frog hopped up to her and croaked that he was in reality a handsome prince, who had been placed under a spell by an evil witch, and only a kiss from a princess could change him back. She gave him his kiss, but when he turned into a prince, he had a wart on his chin, and she sent him back to his own country.
Years passed and the princes stopped coming. They married other princesses and became kings and had princes and princesses of their own.
Then she looked in a mirror, and saw that her perfect beauty had faded a little. She had lines around her eyes and a gray hair had grown on her head. But she was still the prettiest princess around, and was determined that she would marry her one true love, a prince who was handsome and perfect.
One night there was a terrible storm, and a knock came at the castle gate. It was a very handsome young prince from a very far away kingdom.
Finally, here he was, tall, handsome, charming and absolutely perfect. She told her father the King, that yes, this prince was perfect indeed! Overjoyed, the King told the young prince that his daughter was interested in marrying him.
The prince looked at her and sighed and shook his head. "I'm afraid I'm already engaged to the princess in the next kingdom. I was on my way to marry her when the storm struck. We'll be married in a week's time. And honestly, you are unfortunately a bit too old for me," and he left to marry his princess, a girl with a pointy chin who was not anywhere near the most beautiful.
So the princess cried, and got older and older, until the people everywhere forgot that she had been the loveliest princess in the world, and called her the old spinster princess. She got older and her parents died, and her pesky little brother became the King, and his wife became Queen, and their daughter was called the prettiest princess in the world. And the old princess finally died, alone and forgotten.
The end.