old hippy Loc: Kentucky hills

In the mid-1700s, English author Horace Walpole stumbled upon an interesting tidbit of information while researching a coat of arms. In a letter to his friend Horace Mann he wrote: "This discovery indeed is almost of that kind which I call Serendipity, a very expressive word, which as I have nothing better to tell you, I shall endeavor to explain to you: you will understand it better by the derivation than by the definition. I once read a silly fairy tale, called 'The Three Princes of Serendip': as their highnesses travelled, they were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of…." Walpole's memory of the tale (which, as it turns out, was not quite accurate) gave serendipity the meaning it retains to this day.
DSC_1764-Edit-Edit-Edit by ed brown, on Flickr

Leicaflex Loc: Cymru

Dannj

So Walpole "stumbled on this interesting bit". How did you stumble on Walpole's stumbling?

Lloyd LeZotte Loc: Gainesville, Florida

This indeed a most beautiful image ! Thanks for sharing.

Lloyd