Once upon a time, a beautiful princess lived in a beautiful castle with her kind and loving parents, who wanted nothing more than to shelter her from every harm. On the day the princess was born, all the crows shouted “A curse! A curse!”
When she fell ill after the fete celebrating her fifteenth birthday, they executed the cook who had tried to poison her. Every day after, her maid would taste the food before it passed the princess’ lips. When the princess collapsed after the annual hunting party & picnic, the maid was executed as well. The king & queen did not believe in curses. The princess grew thin as a willow, with skin as pale as the moon, and all who saw her felt that she walked as if in a dream.
One day, the princess knelt at the side of her old nurse. The old woman asked how she could serve the young princess, and the princess said: “Teach me how to spin as you do.” The nurse showed her how to work the wheel, minding her to be careful of the spindle. But the princess’ hands were unsteady and she pricked her finger. She fell to the ground and the old nurse cried for help, but none could wake the sleeping princess. Her skin was so cold and pale, it seemed as if she had become a living statue, marble granted the breath of life.
“A curse,” the king & queen cried as they knelt by her bedside. The crows had spoken truly.
No comments:
Post a Comment