A wedding, a dog, and tradition

King Charles had two daughters and a son: Elena, Cristina, and Felipe. It was at Cristina’s wedding, you may recall, the band of would be thieves posed as musicians. This is the story of Cristina’s older sister, Elena.

Elena was a handful as a baby and a regular tomboy. She loved animals of all shapes and sizes. A dignitary from India, on vacation in Spain, brought Elena a small puppy as a gift for her quinceanera. She was ecstatic and immediately named the little thing Apso. From that moment on, the two were inseparable. Apart from whatever royal etiquette would disallow, they ran and played together. Apso would even sleep next to her bed on a big, fluffy pillow.

The time had come for Elena to marry and, in spite of protests from her parents, she insisted on bringing Apso to the wedding. A special, long leash had been fashioned for the occasion and her mom, Queen Sophia, was in charge of keeping Apso by her side in the royal hall.

Elena, already a beautiful young lady, was stunning in her white wedding dress. She wore a veil and her dress featured a long train which was assisted by two members of her chamber. The hall was full of attendees from all over the world, including the dignitary whose gift had brought so much joy to young Elena. King Juan Carlos I (Charles) had to smile at his daughter’s day.

The rings had been exchanged and the couple were seated together facing the priest ready for the “arras” when suddenly Apso, who had waited long enough, decided to go be with Elena. The little dog moved so quickly the leash slipped through the queen’s fingers. She gasped helplessly at not being able to constrain him any longer. When Apso reached the couple he jumped around them in such a way that the long leash wrapped around them until they were about tied up as a dogie at a rodeo. One guest exclaimed that the couple were lassoed together. The priest decided to go with it and it became a tradition at weddings.

To this day, at Spanish style weddings, the tradition of the lasso is customary even if many aren’t aware of its origin. But the real story involves Apso. You see, the Indian name of the breed was difficult for Westerners to pronounce. As a result of the wedding fiasco, you now know the breed as lhasa apso.

And now you know… the jest of the story! Paul Hervey. Good day!

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