The Queen of the Island of Flowers
Once upon a time, there lived a queen who reigned over the Island of Flowers. Her husband passed away a few years after their marriage. Her grief never healed, so she dedicated herself entirely to the education of her children, the two princesses.
When they grew up, the queen worried about Lily, her eldest daughter, for her beauty might awaken the envy of the Queen of all Islands.
The Envy of the Queen of the Islands
The Queen of all Islands prided herself on being the most beautiful woman in the world and insisted that all her rivals bow before her beauty.
To satisfy her vanity, she urged the king to wage war on all surrounding islands. He agreed, for his only desire was to please his queen, with one condition.
Any princess of royal blood from the newly conquered lands would have to come to their court when she turned 15 and pay homage to his queen's beauty.
Princess Lily's Visit
The Queen of the Island of Flowers was determined to present her daughter to the proud queen on her 15th birthday. The young princess's beauty had become well-known, and the news reached the queen, who awaited her visit with great unease.
— Oh, excuse me! Are you ready, my princess? — Yes, Mother!
The queen's unease soon turned into envy, for when the meeting took place, it was impossible not to be amazed by the princess's beauty. And the queen had to admit that she had never seen such a beautiful being.
But nothing could make her believe that it was possible for someone to eclipse her.
— I'm afraid I don't feel too well. We'll have to continue another time.
The sincere admiration of those at court angered her so much that she pretended to be ill and retired to her room. She sent word to the Queen of the Island of Flowers, telling her that she didn't feel well enough to see her again.
She tasked one of her ladies-in-waiting to advise the Queen of the Island of Flowers to return home with her princess. But that lady was an old friend of the Queen of the Island of Flowers, so the queen quickly understood what was happening.
The Warning and Disappearance
Perfectly aware of the indignant queen's magical powers, she warned her daughter that great danger awaited her and that she should not leave the palace for any reason in the next six months.
The six months were coming to an end, and on the very last day, a splendid celebration took place on the pasture near the palace. The princess begged her mother to let her go, at least to the edge of the meadow, and the queen, thinking the danger had passed, promised to take her along.
— Don't run too far, Lily! — No, Mother!
The queen and her court were delighted to see their beloved princess free.
— Be careful!
A New World
— What a cute dog you are! Where did you come from? Where are we? Just now I was with my mother and sister, and now I'm here.
— Follow me, puppy!
— Oh, my! Look what you found for me!
The princess ran to this wonderful place, sat on the grass to savor the moment, which didn't last long, for she began to think of misfortunes and burst into tears.
— The fruits and fresh water will keep me from dying, but what if a beast appears and wants to eat me?
The princess spent the day by the fountain, trying to escape dark thoughts by playing with the puppy. But when night was near, she wondered what to do.
— What is it? — Alright, so be it!
Tired from all she had been through, she soon fell asleep.
Life in the Cave
Here she ate many fruits, drank water, walked among the flowers, played with her puppy, and when night came, she slept in the cave. Several months passed like this, and when her fears subsided, she became at peace with her fate.
One day, she noticed how sad her companion was and that he no longer fawned over her as usual.
— Are you alright, puppy?
Fearing he might be ill, she took him to a place where she had seen him eating some special herbs, hoping they would make him well, but the puppy didn't touch them.
The Search for the Puppy
When she woke up, her first thought was of her puppy. She rushed out of the cave to look for him.
— Hello!
The old man disappeared so quickly that she barely had time to see him. She wondered if her puppy had gotten lost or if the old man had stolen him.
Return Home and the Promise
— Where is Mother? — Well, she didn't survive after your disappearance. — Oh, no!
The younger princess wore the crown, which she now gave to her sister, to whom it rightfully belonged.
— We will both share the power.
The first thing the young queens did was to honor their mother's memory. Still grieving the loss of her puppy, Princess Lily searched for him in all lands, and because she didn't find him, she was so sad that she offered half of her kingdom to anyone who would find the puppy.
Men went in search of the dog in all directions, but all returned empty-handed. Desperate, the queen said that life was unbearable without her dog and that she would marry whoever brought him back to her.
The prospect of such a reward quickly caused agitation at court. While the search continued, the queen was informed that a man with a sickly appearance wanted to speak with her.
— Speak, please! — I am ready to give the queen the puppy, if she is prepared to keep her promise regarding marriage.
— The queen has no right to marry without the consent of the people, and the General Council must be convened at such an important moment. — You will receive an apartment in my castle until the council meets to decide what to do. — Thank you, my queen!
The Council's Decision and the Queen's Sacrifice
The next day, the council met, and at the princess's suggestion, it was decided to offer the man a large sum of money for the dog, and if he refused, to banish him from the kingdom. But the man refused the offer and left the hall.
Daisy informed the queen of what had happened, and the queen decided, since she was her own mistress, to give up the throne and go out into the world in search of her dog.
— To go out into the world for a puppy? You could have any puppy and any man you want! — I am determined, sister.
The Prince of the Emerald Isle
While they were discussing the matter, a servant appeared and announced that the bay was full of ships.
— What a lot of ships! — They must belong to a friendly land. — How do you know? — On every vessel, flags, banners, and ensigns are flown. In addition, the leading ship has a large white flag of peace.
The queen sent a special messenger to the port and soon learned that the fleet belonged to the Prince of the Emerald Isle, who implored her to disembark in her kingdom and presented his homage before her. The queen implored him to sit down and for almost an hour held a conversation with him.
— My queen, I am going to tell you some strange things about which only you can know if they are true. — Alright, continue. — I am a neighbor of the Queen of all Islands. Part of my kingdom is connected to hers by a small isthmus. One day, I was hunting. I had the misfortune of meeting her, and because I didn't recognize her, I didn't stop to greet her as was proper. — You know better than anyone how vengeful she is. I learned that the hard way.
The Prince's Story
Soon I found myself on a distant shore, transformed into a puppy. Then I had the honor of meeting you, Your Majesty. But the queen's thirst for revenge was not satisfied, so she transformed me a second time into an ugly old man.
I was so afraid that I would not be pleasing to your eyes that I hid deep in the forest. I was lucky to meet a benevolent fairy who freed me from the vengeful queen's curse. She told me of your adventures and where to find you.
The jealousy and vanity of the Queen of all Islands caused too much evil, and the fairies took all her powers as punishment. I have come now to offer you my heart, which has always been yours, ever since we first met in the wilderness.
Conclusion
A few days later, news was sent throughout the kingdom, news of Queen Lily's marriage to the young prince. They lived happily for many years and ruled the kingdom successfully.
The moral of the story is that vanity and jealousy can only bring suffering and loss, while kindness and love are rewarded.
