“Don’t forget rule eleventy-one!” boldly exclaimed young Master Trentan.

Tall, gray whiskered  Tutor Vangelli adjusted his monocle, plucked at an imaginary piece of lint along his voluminous white robe and then winked at Trentan.  Following a protracted moment of silence, broken only by the long honking trill of  the teal and emerald feathered strutting peacock, that took that time to wander through the open air class room, Vangelli then used his favorite Socratic teaching method to quiz his next student.

Giving a grand sweep of his sharp gray eyes around the group of assembled young blue-robed lads and pink-robed damsels, he then dramatically pointed a long wrinkled finger at a plump blond curly haired boy of 12 years. Master Pranzel had started to nod-off in the warm snapdragon-scented afternoon sun that swept the courtyard like a misty white-gold bridal veil.  “And,” snapped  Vangelli in his sternest voice, “young Master Pranzel, what is rule eleventy-one from  the Twelfth Book of Wisdom?”

Pranzel jerked, stifled a snore, caught his breath, and then mumbled inarticulately. Snickers and laughter erupted from the other students.  Tutor Vangelli silenced them with an icy glare. Following a raspy cough Master Pranzel answered nervously, “If there is more than one princess in the tower, the one who has the stronger walk with the Great Eternal Maker of Heaven and Earth has preeminence over the other princesses. They are all highly favored princesses and friends of the High King’s son, but the one has priority over all the others. And yet, if the High King has chosen a wise-one as “Queen to be,” and a traveling princess, who is a actually older and wiser, returns to the tower, the older and wiser princess does not win the coveted crown of the new “Queen to be.”

        From the story “Ten Princesses in a Marble Tower.”

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. (Mat 25:1)

And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. (Mat 25:2)

They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: (Mat 25:3)

But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. (Mat 25:4)

While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. (Mat 25:5)

And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. (Mat 25:6)

Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. (Mat 25:7)

And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. (Mat 25:8)

But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. (Mat 25:9)

Awkward as it may sound, as a Christian man or woman, we are all princesses awaiting the return of our Bridegroom Jesus Christ.  Some are foolish and some are wise. The wise ones not only know about Jesus, they possess a relationship with him and prudently make serving Him, as well as seeking His wisdom, a top priority.  Those who spend more time playing with the toys of this world than seeking first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness are like the foolish virgins.

Don’t be like a foolish virgin!