Princess Grace
Once upon a time, as squirrels hopped through the tidy grass of the royal garden of the kingdom of Niara, picking avocados from the ground, our story began — the story of Princess Grace.
On a sunny day, the princess sat at an open window, looking at her garden full of flowers, while the sun's rays warmed her skin. At the door was her younger cousin, Stacy, watching her with a frown.
Princess Grace was the kindest, most polite, and most tender person in the kingdom. And Stacy was the exact opposite. She hated Princess Grace, even though the princess's parents had raised her as their own daughter and loved her as their own child. In fact, even the thought that Grace would become queen made her clench her teeth.
Prince Ryan's Visit
— What a beautiful kingdom! — Indeed!
Here is Prince Ryan from the neighboring kingdom. He had come there to meet the king, to discuss trade matters between the kingdoms.
— Welcome, Prince Ryan! It's a pleasure to have you here.
The king introduced Ryan to Grace and Stacy. Then he began discussing the matters at hand.
Stacy's Plan
— Ah! I'll have to win the prince's heart before he falls in love with Grace. Hmm.
That afternoon, when Grace was walking through the royal garden, Ryan went to speak with her.
— Your Highness! — Oh, hello! — Since I'm here for a few days, I was thinking maybe you could show me the kingdom. — Sure! Um, let's meet at the palace gate after dinner. — Thank you!
A Magical Evening
The afternoon warmth had eased, as the sun had almost set.
— Why am I so nervous? I should calm down. Of course! — Hop on!
The carriage wheels sang along the kingdom's roads as the evening settled and the afternoon came to a close.
— So, what are we doing here? — I want you to meet someone. — Oh! — Come on!
Tom, the Talking Gnome
— Wow! What is this place? — I found it by accident when I got lost in the forest while playing with my sister. I was scared, but then I met them. — Met who? — My name is Tom. — Ah! — Are you done? — Yes! — You, who are you? — I am Prince Ryan from the kingdom of Dentang. — His kingdom has administrative problems. I brought him here. — You haven't brought anyone here before. That was our agreement. — I know! But our fathers want us to marry and... — Wait! What? — Yes! I overheard them talking last spring when your father came. And Tom is my best friend. I wanted him to see you before I started thinking about the two of us. — But nobody asked me if I want to marry you. — It's clear from your eyes that you like her. — Of course! — A talking squirrel! Let's go! — Wheee!
The Curse of Fairy Gerula
And what a wonderful evening it was! They sang, danced, and played many games.
— Wheee! I like him.
When the evening ended, Ryan and Grace said goodbye and returned to the kingdom.
— Thank you so much! I had a wonderful time! — Me too! — Yes, I think I've fallen in love with her. — Of course!
Meanwhile, Stacy, who had been waiting for nightfall, snuck out of the castle to find the fairy Gerula, who lived in a cave, far from people, and who was of the sprite folk.
— I wonder what someone of royal blood is doing here, so late? — I am Lady Stacy. I've come to ask you a favor.
Stacy told the fairy about her sister, Hilda, and about the prince and how she wanted to get rid of her.
— Listen, I will help you. But if for any reason you don't marry Prince Ryan, you will let me turn you into a green snake. Agreed? — What? Who's ever heard of such a cruel condition? — Well, if you can't promise me that, you'd better go home. — Ha! How silly of me! Why should I fear not winning Prince Ryan's heart if Grace is gone? I agree to your condition. — Come, cousins who hear my call! Princess Grace is young and we want her gone. Tell me a spell by which Stacy can be rid of her. Make the princess vanish forever!
Prince Ryan's Sacrifice
— Grace is gentle and guilty of nothing. We cannot wish her harm now or ever. — Hm! The good-hearted gnomes won't punish Grace. But I have other methods.
— Magic sphere, hear me! Transform Princess Grace into a lamb with white wool for one year. Make her bleat. Let a lion find her while she sleeps. Make her human again if the lion stays with her for at least one year.
— Wow! Will it work? — Don't doubt me. Now sneak back home and in a few hours, at sunrise, ask your cousin to take a walk in the park. — Oh, wonderful! Thank you!
Stacy left, and fairy Gerula smiled, unaware that gnome Tom had heard everything from the lingering smoke.
— Grace is in trouble! I must reach the palace before sunrise!
Tom raced toward the palace in his little carriage pulled by a rabbit, in the quiet of the late night. When the sun rose, Stacy quickly went to Grace's room.
— Wake up, dear sister! Let's take a walk through the park. I lost my diamond necklace and I dreamed it was in the grass. — Oh, yes, of course!
The Lamb and the Lion
— What a beautiful flock of sheep! How innocent! — Baa! — Ha! Who's the heir to the throne now? Prince Ryan is mine! I did everything! I detest you, Grace!
Then Stacy turned and left her poor cousin, who couldn't say a thing.
— No? No! Grace! Baa! — If it's you, nod! Baa! — I'm so sorry! What do I do now? Ah, I have an idea! Stay here and don't leave the palace gate!
— There you are! Listen!
Gnome Tom told Prince Ryan everything, and Ryan was horrified.
— Oh no! We must tell the king immediately! — You can't do that! Grace is the one under the spell, and whatever you do, nothing can bring her back until a year has passed. But that's not the worst news. According to the spell, a lion will find her while she sleeps. You know a lion will never be kind to a sheep, unless... — Unless? — Ha, ha, ha!
Grace left the palace with gnome Tom and arrived in the forest.
— Now I must leave, but stay calm, you are not in danger.
Saying this, Tom left, and Grace remained bewildered, bleating, until she fell asleep, exhausted from the long journey.
The Reunion
Between the lion and the sheep, an unexpected but beautiful friendship formed. The two played together daily by the river, watching the sun set and gazing at each other as if speaking through their eyes.
At the palace, Stacy grew increasingly impatient, as many months had passed and Prince Ryan was nowhere to be found. The seasons passed one by one, then the leaves fell and the year was over.
That morning, Grace went to the river to drink water and, when she looked at her reflection, she saw she had a human face.
— Ah! I'm human again! — Of course! — You? — Do you know who this lion is? — Um... — It's Prince Ryan! — What?
Tom explained everything to Grace, told her he had informed the prince about the curse, and the prince had agreed to be transformed into a lion to protect her.
— Oh, Ryan! I love you so much, Ryan! — And I love you, Grace!
Meanwhile, not far from them, behind the trees, stood the king and queen, who were walking through the forest, grief-stricken, as exactly one year had passed since their daughter disappeared. They watched in amazement everything that unfolded.
— Grace! — My child! — Mother? Father!
As they embraced their child, she told them everything. They were angry, but more than that, they were disappointed, for they loved Stacy just as much as Grace.
— We'll deal with her later, for now I have something important to say. You, Prince Ryan, I always knew you were a good man, but your sacrifice is commendable. Honestly, your father and I always wanted to... — We know! — Oh, yes! And what do you say? — We accept!
The Conclusion
At the palace, Stacy was turned into a snake.
— You are very wicked! I don't want the world to be full of evil people like you, for I want to be the only evil person in the world! Ha, ha, ha!
When the king arrived at the palace, he called for Stacy, but she was nowhere to be found.
— Fairy Gerula was here. I can smell her scent. Stacy was probably cursed. Well, it still hurts, but she deserved it.
For there is no worse crime than lying to those you claim to love.
And so our story ends. Princess Grace and Prince Ryan were married. Gnome Tom was made royal commander. As for me, well, I was now Ryan and Grace's little pet and I liked it. Whenever they said something, I politely answered.
— Of course!
