In retrospect, I would not have prevented my wife from going into the garden. I would have given her the companionship of a wise friend instead of telling her not to speak to strangers.

She was too young to be shut in. That’s why she listened to the old woman who came to her window. That’s why she stepped out into the garden, and slipped into the pond. I made it easy for the witch to turn her into a duck.

I see what I did. I see it clearly. By over-protecting my wife, I disarmed her.

The Over-Protective King in The White Duck, Yellow Fairy Book. Picture by Ivan Bilbin.