The Noodle Restaurant

First delivered orally around 2013, written down about a week after that.

There was once a very famous restaurant in Italy, in fact, it was the most famous and renowned restaurant in the country. Many people from around the world would come to Italy just to visit this restaurant. Why is it so famous you ask? There are many reasons, but probably the chief reason is that every single dish, every dessert, every specialty drink, everything, contained noodles. Now these aren't just any noodles, no, they are handcrafted and come in dozens of different types. There are short, sharp spiraled green noodles, long thin hollow noodles, and every other imaginable type. There were even different flavors of noodles. One day a rich prince from India came to this restaurant. He despised noodles and that famous restaurant, and wanted to destroy its reputation. He had a plan. After the main course had been eaten along with the sides, and the meal was almost over, the waiter came and asked if he would like some dessert.
"I would indeed, but make sure there are no noodles in it."
"But sir, everything we cook has noodles in it."
To this the prince replied, "Tell the head chef I do not want any noodles."
So the waiter hustled off to tell the chef.
"We cannot possibly do such a thing!" the chef exclaimed. "It would ruin our reputation! Tell zis man we cannot make such a dish."
So the waiter returned to the prince's table. "The chef says he cannot do such a thing."
"Tell him that I am a royal prince of India and demand he makes me a dessert with no noodles!"
So again the waiter returned to the chef. "He says he is a royal prince of India and demands we make such a dish. I think we should comply with his wishes."
"No! I cannot do that!" the chef fumed.
Then the chef thought for a moment and a bright smile crept across his face.
"Tell him we will make him his dessert."
So once again the waiter went to the prince. "The chef has finally agreed to make you your dessert."
"Good!" the prince said. Then he thought to himself, "Ha ha! Soon this restaurant will be the most despised in the land!"
Meanwhile, the chef was busy making the dessert. He had a plan to trick the prince and save the restaurant. In a few minutes the waiter returned for the last time to the prince's table. The prince didn't see a single noodle on the plate. He took the plate in one hand and then stood up.
"Attention! Attention please! I have some very important news for all of you." the prince called to the whole restaurant. Soon everybody was quiet. The chef peeked out from the kitchen to watch, silently chuckling to himself.
"Tonight, the chef has made me a wonderful dessert with no noodles in it. That's right, look and see for yourself!"
The people looked and saw not a single noodle. They started throwing down their forks in disgust. How could their favorite restaurant betray them so? Dozens of people started getting up to leave.
The prince continued slandering the restaurant, "Yes, that's right folks, a noodle-free dish!"
As he said this he stabbed his fork into his dessert for a bite. When he brought it to his mouth, the whole restaurant instantly fell into complete silence. Then one person began laughing, then another, and another, until everyone was all uproariously laughing. The prince didn't know what it was all about, until he looked at his fork. There was a huge fist-sized noodle on it. The chef had hidden it under all the special sauces and delicious crumbles. The prince bowed his head in shame. He had never been more humiliated in his life. The prince was laughed out of the restaurant and returned sullenly to his country. As for the renowned noodle restaurant, its fame spread farther than ever, and hundreds flocked from all over to enjoy the most wonderful noodle dishes in the world.