Long ago there were two proud and mighty nations. The armies of the two lands fought bitterly for many years and much blood was spilled. One day a letter arrived from the region of Gardenia where the King of the Southern Land dwelled with his Queen and two sons. The letter was addressed to the King of the Northern Land who dwelled in Antiochola with his Queen and his two daughters. The Southern King’s letter was very grim and spoke of all the young men who have died from the Southern Land. The mothers of all the young men had cried so many tears that a small lake had formed along the border of the two lands.

The King of the Northern Land became very troubled at the reading of the letter because the mothers in his own land had also filled a small lake with tears. The King thought wise to offer a sign of peace and sent the Southern King a letter of peace and a small white dove.

 

The letter read as follows;

 

Dear Southern King,

 

We have been adversaries for too long, much blood and many tears have spilled. Please take this dove as a sign of peace and let us dine with one another in two nights so our proud families can meet and make peace.

 

Your Friend and Comrade,

 

The King of the North

 

 

So it came to be that the royal families ate and drank together and made peace. The King’s daughter, Princess Angelina was tender and indeed a fair maiden. The King’s son, Prince Daniel was a tall and strong hunter who cared for nothing but the game he sought nightly. When Angelina was introduced to Daniel the spark of true love was struck and could not be denied. The noble Kings saw the love lights shining so brightly it lit the palace dining hall with all the strength of the sun.

 

It was decided that the two were to wed and unify the war torn kingdoms.

The night before the wedding the Prince and Princess were walking in the woods holding hands and making love to one another. As the Princess was whispering into the Prince’s ear she noticed a nightingale singing on a tree stump near the mouth of the woods.

 

The nightingale was singing such a lovely song the two lovers were enchanted and bid the nightingale to come sing to them.

At once the nightingale was changed into a night troll.

The troll rose up and grabbed the princess and turned the prince into stone.

 

The night troll took the princess back to his home and changed her into a white dove and put her in small black cage. The princess tried to scream but she could only make the sounds of a dove. As she looked around the troll’s home she realized there were more than a dozen doves, each in their own small black cage.

 

An old conjurer named Gamel was walking thru the wood on his way to the wedding when he looked upon the poor Prince Daniel frozen in his stone frame.

 

Gamel perceived the heart of the Prince still beating in his stone chest and at once with wave of his walking stick removed the curse.

 

“Thank you kind sir, I am deeply troubled however and my heart beats for my own true love who has been taken away by a foul night troll!”

 

The old conjurer was moved by the young man’s plight and decided to help him at once.

 

“I know not where the fair princess has been taken but I have these three magic stones that thou must take with thee on thy journey”

 

Gamel continued, “In thy time of need place one stone on the ground and make thy wish known and so it shall be my son. It is my heart’s intention for thou to find thy bride and make haste in wedding her and therefore uniting these mighty lands!”

 

Daniel looked up and thanked Gamel for his kindness, put his wishing stones in his pocket and began his long journey to find his Princess Angelina.

 

The Prince thought it wise to use the first stone to make him a bow and an unending quiver of arrows.

 

He placed one stone on the ground and spoke with a loud voice saying, “I wish on the wishing stone for an unbreakable bow of steel and an endless supply of arrows for my quiver that I may not go without food during my journey!”

 

At once the stone had changed into a menacing black bow and fine quiver of silver arrows. The prince gathered up the bow and arrows and began his search for the princess.

 

Prince Daniel searched and searched until 5 years had come and gone. He finally went to the mountain top to ask the Night Moon if he had seen his fair princess. “I pray thee moon thou who sees all of the night hast thou seen my Princess Angelina?”

 

“I have not seen the fair one, thou must come in the morn and ask the Sun if she has seen thy own true love” said the Moon.

 

As soon as the Sun reached the horizon Prince Daniel queried Her of the princess’s whereabouts. “Oh mighty Sun that lights the sky and all the land I pray thee hast thou seen my Princess Angelina?”

 

“I have seen the Princess the day she was captured by the night troll and your highness was made into stone, thy princess was taken to troll’s cottage at the end of the wood!”

 

Prince Daniel made haste to the cottage but was careful not to arouse the nightingale who was sleeping in his cage knowing the bird would change back into the troll and turn him to stone.

 

The prince creeped into the cottage and removed the lock from one of the dove cages and quickly locked the nightingale’s cage. Princess Angelina tweeted and sang loudly when she saw her prince. The noise woke the nightingale who was troubled to see that he was indeed locked up and could not change back into the troll.

 

Prince Daniel knew one of the doves was his fair princess but they all looked the same, finally he came to the cage that held Angelina who was now jumping about tweeting and singing. Daniel knew right away that the small white dove was his own true love.

 

Daniel placed the small dove in his coat and started out to find Gamel to aid him in his time of need.

He searched day and night and became weary from his travel. Daniel made a fire and placed the small dove on a blanket near the warm fire and went to find meat for supper.

 

Just as he was aiming his bow at a tall elk in the wood a terrifying dragon flew down from the sky and captured the Prince and took him back to her lair. At once the dragon was changed into a witch and cast a spell on the Prince turning him into her slave. All day and night the Prince slaved away for the witch, mending fences and killing game to feed the fat witch.

 

So it was that another 9 years had passed and the two lovers were lost. Angelina flew about night and day searching for her fair prince.

Prince Daniel was on his way to the well to bring water to the fat witch. As he bent over he saw himself in the clear water. Just then he remembered the two magic stones, as the spell was finally beginning to wear off. He placed one of the stones on the ground and wished for a magic sword and it was so. Daniel picked up the enchanted sword and went straight away into the witch’s house. “Thou haste cast a spell on me these many years and now thou must die you fat witch!”

 

With a swift blow he took her head off and threw it into the well.

 

“This cannot be my fate, I must find my Angelina!”

Prince Daniel had not gone far when the small white dove landed on his shoulder and began singing the song of true love. Daniel’s heart leaped in his chest. “You found me my love, I am so happy now we must make haste to find Gamel!”

 

The West Wind heard the Prince’s words and whispered into Gamel’s ear so he would make haste to the two lovers. Gamel found Prince Daniel and at once changed the dove into the Princess Angelina.

 

14 years after they first fell in love the Prince and Princess were finally married and the kingdoms were united. Princess Angelina was barren and could not make sons for the Prince. Angelina was deeply troubled for she wanted a son for her husband and an heir to the throne.

 

Prince Daniel was very sad but he remembered the magic stone. At once he summoned his Princess and they placed the stone on the ground and said these words; “Wishing stone we wish for a son of our own blood, pray thee give us a healthy son who will be handsome and wise!” All at once the stone turned into a handsome young boy and they named him Anthony. So after all their troubled days were behind them King Daniel, Queen Angelina and Prince Anthony lived all there days in peace and prosperity.

 

THE END