Asmund and Singy
Once upon a time, a royal family lived in a beautiful and happy kingdom. The King and Queen had a son, Asmund, and a daughter, Singy, whom they loved very much.
Both children were taught everything a good prince and a good princess should know and grew into intelligent, talented, and skilled individuals. They both loved the same thing most of all: nature.
A Home in the Oak Trees
— I managed to convince Father!
— About what? About the oak trees?
— Correction! About the oak tree, not the oak trees.
— Oh, come on! You know I want to live in one of those trees just as much as you do. You can't go without me!
— Ow! Of course, I asked Father about both oak trees.
— And?
— He agreed!
— Yes! Yes! Finally! We'll make our homes in the old, hollow oak trees.
Life in the Forest
— Imagine, living inside a tree in the middle of the forest!
— And at the same time, close to the palace, close to Mother and Father. Asmund, we are so lucky!
So the prince and princess went to the two old, hollow oak trees in the forest near the palace and built their homes there, bringing their best furniture and favorite things into their tree-houses. The two were very happy in the forest.
They would wake up when the birds began to chirp, and they would eat outdoors in the shade of the giant trees, as if every day were just a lovely picnic day.
News of Prince Ring
One day, their parents sent them a message.
— Long live His Highness Prince Asmund and Lady Princess Singy!
— What is it, Jonathan?
— The King and Queen have sent you this message.
— Thank you!
— It's for you, little sister!
— What is it?
— It seems that Prince Ring from the kingdom of Rebama is in love with you and wishes to come and ask for your hand in marriage.
Preparations for the Meeting
— What? Let me see!
— I heard he's very handsome.
— And I heard he has a very beautiful sister.
— So? What do you say? Will you meet him?
— I don't even know. When is he coming?
— Next Friday, five days from now. Mother and Father want us to return to the palace.
— We still have five days. We don't have to go back today. We'll go back on Wednesday. I think two days will be enough for you to get dressed.
— Of course not. I'm not dressing up in any special way. I want him to see me exactly as I am.
The Jealous Witch
But it so happened that another pair of siblings lived in the forest then: a wizard and a witch.
One morning, when Asmund and Singy were both boating on the lake, the witch and her brother saw them. Seeing the beauty of Princess Singy, envy began to gnaw at the witch.
— How dare someone more beautiful than me live in my forest?
The Evil Plan
— I heard that news of her beauty has spread, and a prince from a very distant kingdom is coming to meet her.
— I won't allow it! I won't allow it!
— And what do you intend to do?
— What will I do? I'll kill the prince with my own hand!
The Bird's Attack
— Hey, bird! Ow! Ow! Ow!
— Are you alright?
— Yes, I'm fine. What on earth was that?
A Strange Bird
— I've never seen a bird behave like that before. Perhaps it was sent by Prince Ring to bring him a souvenir from you.
— What? Do you hear yourself talking?
Singy and Asmund had no idea what mischief was about to befall them.
The Witch Acts
The witch took Singy's necklace and then assumed her beautiful form. Her brother cast an evil spell upon the oak trees.
— Sleep, sleep now and sleep in quiet peace. Sleep until midday turns dark as night.
The Sleeping and Vanished Oak Trees
— Now they will sleep forever.
Then the wizard went to the royal family, waiting to greet Prince Ring.
— Vanish now! Vanish far from the eyes of the world! Return only when midday turns dark as night. Now they are gone forever.
Prince Ring and the False Princess
After some time, Prince Ring arrived, and as soon as he saw the witch in the form of Princess Singy, Prince Ring was enchanted by her beauty.
— Lady, you must be Princess Singy.
— Yes, Your Highness, and I await here to sail with you to your kingdom.
The Hasty Departure
— And what about your parents?
— My father had to go to war. That is why they want us to sail back to your kingdom, and then they will come there to bring us our wedding gifts.
— Can I help him in battle?
— No. My father just wants us to leave here.
— Very well. Come.
— Wait for me on your ship while I go and take something very, very dear to me for the journey.
— Certainly.
The Traveling Trees
The prince found all this quite strange, but he didn't suspect anything as evil as it being a witch and not Princess Singy. So he did as he was told.
The witch went into the forest and uprooted the trees where Prince Asmund and Princess Singy were sleeping, because she didn't want to leave any evidence behind.
The Witch's New Home
The witch took the trees with her back to Prince Ring's land. The witch and Prince Ring sailed to his kingdom, where they were warmly welcomed by Prince Ring's parents and sister.
A mansion was also built for the witch to stay comfortably until her parents would come for the wedding. The witch planted the oak trees, in which Asmund and Singy were still sleeping, in the garden of that mansion.
But no one could see the trees, because they were very small.
The Witch's Boredom
Prince Ring often visited the witch, who went to royal banquets with him and his family. The witch was tired of acting like a princess.
She hated smiling all day and being nice to people. With each passing day, the witch became more and more irritated because she had to be good and kind.
The Outburst of Fury
She wanted to eat much more than she could, to dance wildly and roar like a witch, instead of speaking politely. Oh, the witch was furious.
She returned to the mansion and stomped and screamed the same thing for the hundredth time.
— Ah! Ah! I'm tired of being a good little lady in heels! Where is the wild life in the forest where I could stomp and run and scream as much as I want? Ah, I hate smiling all day! I hate speaking nicely, politely! And I'm starving! How little they eat, how little they eat! I'll eat my brother if he doesn't bring me food now! Right now!
Brother Brings Food
Suddenly, on that floor, her brother appeared with a table full of food.
— I can't take it anymore! If I'm a princess for one more day, I'll kill the prince with my own hand!
Threats and Warnings
— Are you mad? The king of this land is very powerful! He will punish us both!
— Then bring back the real Singy and let's get out of here!
The Wizard Reveals the Truth
— I can't! I enchanted them to sleep until day turns into night, which is impossible! Asmund and Singy are never coming back!
— You! And what will become of me?
The Eclipse Saves the Day
But the witch's brother was wrong. The naive wizard didn't know that sometimes day really does turn into night. It's called an eclipse, and it happens when the moon covers the sun and there is no light on Earth, and day becomes night, even if only for a short time.
Exactly that happened the next midday.
Waking from Sleep
— What? Brunch? I'm not going! I'm not going! Ah! Let the prince come today and I'll kill him! Ah!
Asmund and Singy Wake Up
— He's here! They're coming! They're coming!
The Truth Comes Out
— The witch transformed into you!
— My necklace! That bird!
— He must be Prince Ring!
— We have to tell him!
Asmund Warns the Prince
That night, as the prince was returning home after escorting the witch, Asmund stopped him on his way.
— Who are you and why have you blocked my path?
— I am Prince Asmund, Princess Singy's brother.
— So the war is over? Where are your parents?
— There was no war, and the woman living in your mansion is not my sister. She is not Princess Singy. She is a witch!
Singy Confirms
— How can I believe what you tell me?
— She is not Princess Singy! I am! Come with us!
Unmasking the Witch
Asmund and Singy led the prince to the mansion. To the window of the witch's room, where she was stomping and screaming again. She tore off Singy's necklace and took on her natural form.
The Witch's Fury (Part II)
— Ah! Ah! I'm tired of being a good little lady in heels! Where is the wild life in the forest where I could stomp, run, and scream as much as I want! I hate smiling all day! I hate speaking nicely, politely! And I'm starving! How little they eat, how little they eat! I'll eat my brother if he doesn't bring me food now!
Brother and Food (Repetition)
Suddenly, on that floor, her brother appeared with a table full of food.
— I can't take it anymore! If I'm a princess for one more day, I'll kill the prince with my own hand!
The Impossible
— Are you mad? The king of this land is very powerful! He will punish us both!
— Then bring back the real Singy and let's get out of here!
— I can't! I enchanted them to sleep until day turns into night, which is impossible! Asmund and Singy are never coming back!
The Witch's Final Plan
— Then, when the prince comes in the morning, we will cast a spell on him and the palace and leave!
— I don't think so. Have you perhaps returned?
The Eclipse and Jokes
— Midday has turned into night!
— Seriously? When?
— You should really brush up on your general knowledge!
Message for Parents
— We should send a message to Mother and Father. They must be worried about us.
Parents Freed
The message was sent to Asmund and Singy's mother and father. They too were freed from the spell when midday turned into night.
Double Wedding and Happy Ending
They all visited Prince Ring's land. Prince Ring fell madly in love with Singy, and Asmund fell in love with Prince Ring's sister.
Both weddings were celebrated with great pomp and splendor, and they all lived happily ever after.
The Fate of the Wizards
And the wizard siblings were locked in the same oak trees where they remained even when midday turned into night.
Evil never goes unpunished, and truth and goodness always triumph.
