"Halt who goes there?" A voice boomed through the woods as the elf approached the guarded gate. As he drew closer, a guard stood in his path. "Oh, it is me, the elf," replied the elf casually. "Oh, you are the elf," the guard said, crossing his arms. "What is the password?" The elf remained silent, his eyes flickering with mischief. He knew the password, of course, but where was the fun in that? Besides, the words he should never say seemed to dance at the tip of his tongue. "I'm sorry, I cannot disclose the password," the elf said eventually. The guard scowled. "The password is crucial for security purposes. Without it, I cannot let you pass." "But I assure you, I am no threat to this land," the elf protested. "My story is not one of betrayal or deceit. Rather, it is a tale of the words we should never say." The guard seemed interested despite himself, and so the elf began his tale. "Once upon a time, there was a kingdom where words held great power. The king had declared that some words should never be said, for they were cursed and would bring bad luck to whoever uttered them." "The kingdom prospered for many years, and people abided by the king's decree. But eventually, people forgot why those words were cursed. They forgot the consequences of speaking them, and so they began to say them again. One by one, the kingdom began to fall apart." "The crops withered, the buildings crumbled, and the people grew sickly and discontent. They called upon the king to save them, but he too had forgotten the reason for the curse." "It wasn't until a young orphan boy came before the king, reciting the tale his mother had told him, that the king remembered the power of words. He banished the cursed words from the kingdom forever, and once again, the land prospered." The elf fell silent at the end of his tale, his eyes twinkling with amusement. The guard looked thoughtful. "I see the point you are making, elf. But the password remains secret for a reason, and I cannot take any chances." The elf nodded for he knew that he had made his point. He turned around and walked back into the woods disappearing behind the trees, leaving the guard to ponder on his story.