The Precious Prince
Fairy Tales in Romanian.
The King and the Fairy of Truth
The Precious Prince. Once upon a time, a king was out hunting when a white bunny, chased by his dogs, jumped into his arms for shelter.
— Hey there, little one, stay calm! No one will hurt you.
He took it home to his palace and ordered his servants to take care of it.
— I am the Fairy of Truth. I was the bunny that jumped into your arms for shelter, to test you, to see if you are merciful and kind-hearted. And you truly are! Ask me for anything you wish, and I promise you shall receive it.
The king was pleased.
— Lady, in due time, I wish for you to make my unborn son the best prince, and I will be very grateful to you. I want him to become a good, forgiving, and merciful king. — Ah, good king, I will take care of your son, and if needed, I will punish him so that he may mend his ways and become a good king, just like you.
The king was content with this promise.
— Place this ring on your son's finger, and I will always watch over him and guide him. The little prince was so adorable that everyone loved him. Therefore, he was named the Precious Prince.
The Precious Prince and Sileia
In time, the Precious Prince grew up and became a handsome young man. One day, as he stood by his father's statue, thinking of him, his stepbrother Charles came to him.
— What are you doing here, Precious Prince? Don't you know we're going hunting? — Yes, brother, it's just that sometimes I miss my father very much.
The Precious Prince, Charles, and his cousin Ron went hunting in the forest. As they rode, the Precious Prince saw a girl. He slowed down while his brothers rode on. He turned his horse towards the girl and began to ride towards her. The young girl was so beautiful that the prince fell in love with her on the spot.
He decided at once to marry her. Her name was Sileia, and she was as good as she was beautiful.
— I have never seen a girl more beautiful than you. I wish to take you as my wife, and surely you will be delighted to become a great queen.
Seeing the prince's arrogance, Sileia said without fear:
— Sire, I am just a poor shepherdess, but I will not marry you anyway.
— Don't you like me? — Yes, sire. You are a handsome man and a prince besides, but that is not enough for me. I do not wish to spend my life with an arrogant man.
The Prince's Transformation
Hearing this, the prince grew angry. Just then, his soldiers arrived, looking for him. Immediately, he ordered them to tie her up and take her to his palace. At that moment, the ring pricked him.
— Ah!
He tried to take it off, but he couldn't.
Later, when Charles saw him so upset, he asked him what the problem was. And when the prince explained that he didn't like what Sileia thought of him and that he was determined to become a better man to please her, his wicked brother said to him:
— You are too kind-hearted to think of this girl. If I were you, I would make her obey me. Remember that you are king! And it would be a laughingstock for the world if you tried to please a shepherdess who should be delighted to be your wife. Throw her in prison and punish her!
— But wouldn't it be a shame to punish an innocent girl? For Sileia has done nothing to deserve punishment. — If people don't listen to you, then they must suffer! And remember, she is not innocent! She mocked your love! She laughed at your love! She laughed!
Saying this, he touched his brother's weak spot. For the prince left very angrily to find her. When he reached the room where Sileia was imprisoned, he was astonished to see that she was not there.
He became terribly angry and vowed to take revenge on anyone who had helped her escape.
— Sileia! At that moment, the ring pricked him again, and the prince cried out loudly. — Ah! How can I take this ring off?
— We can talk about the ring another time. Now we have another problem you must deal with. Charles and Ron told the prince that Suilman, his old tutor, had helped Sileia escape. They even bribed a guard to say that Suilman himself had told him this.
The prince, extremely nervous, sent Charles with some soldiers to bring Suilman to him in chains, like a criminal. After giving this command, he went to his room, but no sooner had he entered it than thunder began to rumble, the earth to quake, and the Fairy of Truth appeared before him.
— I promised your father that I would watch over you. And if you ever became wicked, I would punish you. Your father was a very good man, but you have taken the wrong path. It is time for me to keep my promise and punish you!
— Ah! I condemn you to take the form of the animals you have imitated. Through your anger, you have resembled a lion, and through your greed, a wolf. Like a snake, you turned to bite the one who was like a second father to you. Your rudeness has made you like a buffalo. Therefore, from now on, you shall appear in the form of these animals!
As soon as the Fairy of Truth finished, the Precious Prince saw with terror that her words had come true. He had the head of a lion, the horns of a buffalo, the legs of a wolf, and the body of a snake. Suddenly, he appeared in a large forest, beside a clear lake, in which he clearly saw what a terrible creature he had become, and a voice said to him:
— Look closely at the state your wickedness has brought you to.
The Precious Prince recognized the voice of the Fairy of Truth and thought it best to flee as far as possible from the lake, so as never to be reminded of his terrible ugliness again.
The Tutor Suilman and the People
So he fled into the forest. When he stopped near a tree, a huge cage descended, and he was trapped inside by hunters hiding behind the tree. The hunters carried the cage, and as they approached the city, he saw that there was a great celebration there. When the hunters asked what had happened, they were told:
— The wicked prince is dead, and his stepbrother and cousin, who tried to seize the kingdom and divide it among themselves, have been chased out of the city by the people.
The man recounted how the people had offered the crown to Suilman, whom the prince had left in prison.
— He is a just and good man. We will once again enjoy peace and prosperity. That is why there is a celebration!
The Precious Prince was filled with anger when he heard this, but a greater evil came when he was taken to the square in front of his palace.
There he saw Suilman, sitting on a magnificent throne, with all the people around him, wishing him a good life to right the wrongs done by his predecessor.
— I have accepted the crown you offered me, but only to keep it for the Precious Prince, who is not dead. For the Fairy assured me that there was still hope that one day we would see him good and just. Alas! He was deceived by flatterers. I knew his heart and I know that, were it not for the bad influence of those around him, he would have been a good king and a father to the people! I would gladly die if our prince would thus return to rule with justice!
These words touched the prince's heart. He realized the sincere love and trust in his former tutor, and for the first time, he felt remorse for his wicked deeds. Soon, the hunters took him to a huge stable, where he was kept with the other wild animals.
Learning Humility
One day, as his keeper slept, a tiger sprang at him and jumped to eat him. The Precious Prince, who had seen this, wished to be free.
— I wish I could save the one who captured me.
As soon as he thought this, the cage door s
