Tell Me a Fairytale
Tell Me a Fairytale
Fizza Younis
Copyright © 2022 Fizza Younis
All rights reserved
Contents
Contents
All is well that Ends Well
A Legend of Two Princesses
Witches of the World
The Real Curse
When He Woke Up
About the Author
Other Books by Fizza Younis
All is well that Ends Well
Once upon a time, a king loved his family more than he loved anything else in the world. His seven sons and a daughter were more precious to him than all the jewels and gems he possessed. Fate forced him to play the roles of both mother and father, but they were happy.
Their happiness didn’t last for long, though, as was true for most people. One day the king fell sick with some mysterious illness. They called healers from all around the world, but no one could cure him. His weakening state confined him to the bed, making his children worry about his life. They didn’t want to lose their father the way they lost their mother—so soon and to a disease, no one could diagnose.
As luck would have it, a beggar came to the castle’s door on one sunny day. The princess was walking in the gardens and heard the commotion at the gates. She asked the guards to let him in and offered him food and water. She requested that in return he pray for her father’s health. The beggar had no qualms, for the king was a just ruler who was loved by his subjects.
The beggar, touched by her kindness, told her about a cure-all. There was a magic tree on a rock beyond the forest, and its leaves could heal any illness, however mysterious. All they needed was to boil the leaves in water, and then make the king drink it and his health would be restored.
Princess shared this information with her brothers. Finally, a ray of hope appeared from behind the clouds of disappointment.
The eldest prince wanted to fetch the leaves himself. After saying goodbye to his family, he left the palace. For three days and three nights, he traveled through the dark and dense forest to reach the other side. There, he saw a rock and at its top was a tree. Fearing facing many trials, he was glad to reach his destination with ease and with no obstacles.
As he crossed the field to get to the rock, he realized that an old man sat on the grass right at the foot of it. When the man saw him, he said, “Why have you come to this place?”
To his query, the prince responded with the truth and told him he wanted the leaves from the tree on the rock. The man said nothing more.
When the prince looked up, he realized the rock would not be easy to climb. The old man observed him thinking and kindly informed him about the stairs on the other side. He also warned the prince that once he started climbing up the stairs, he must not look back, no matter what he saw or heard. It was an odd warning, but the prince thanked him, anyway.
Prince went to the other side and started climbing up the stairs. He heard his name as if someone was calling him. Without thinking about it, he looked back, and instantly, he turned into stone.
Back at the palace, everyone anxiously awaited his return, but when he didn’t come back after a fortnight, they decided that one of the younger princes should go after him. Before the younger prince embarked on his quest, he gave a flower to his brothers and sister. The flower was a gift from a magician, and it could change color according to the situations in which its owner found himself. The prince told them it would turn black if he were in trouble. After reassuring them, he left in search of his elder brother and the magic tree.
He didn’t come back either, and on the fourth day, the flower turned black. One by one, all seven brothers left on this quest, but none returned.
At last, after waiting for many days, the princess went after her brothers. Her brothers were in trouble, and she couldn’t stay at the palace and not do something. Besides, she also needed to get the leaves from the magic tree. The lives of all her family members depended on her.
After three days long journey, she reached the rock. An old man sat beneath it. She greeted him politely and asked about her brothers. The man told her that seven princes came to get the leaves, but they all turned to stones because they didn’t heed his warning. He gave her the same advice. She thanked him and went to the stairs.
The statues of her brothers saddened her. She thought that there must be something very tempting that they couldn’t resist, or maybe they didn’t take the old man’s warning seriously. To be on the safe side, she took precautions. Putting some cotton in her ears, she ensured she would hear nothing. Then she blindfolded herself so that she wouldn’t see and started climbing the stairs with cautious steps.
She had already counted them, and after the fiftieth step, which was the last, she took off her blindfold and took out the cotton she had stuffed in her ears. Then, she cut some leaves from the tree and started walking down the stairs. As she passed her brothers, they turned back to normal, and all of them reached the bottom together. Happy to be alive and safe, they thanked their beloved sister. They also wanted to thank the old man, but he had vanished. They set out to return to the palace.
The water from boiled leaves restored the king’s health, and all was well in the end. The king named his wise and beloved daughter as his successor, and the entire nation rejoiced along with the royal family.
From then on, in this faraway kingdom, whenever someone was in trouble, people would remember their princess and remind themselves to notice little things and never let their guard down.
A Legend of Two Princesses
Once upon a time, in a small and secluded village, there lived a farmer. He might be a poor man, living hand to mouth, but he was honest and hardworking. He hoped someday his luck would turn and turn it did.
The tales of his hard work and honesty spread far and near. Even the king heard these stories and called him to the palace, asking him to become his adviser. Thus, the farmer from a nameless village became the king’s most trusted man.
The king invited him to stay at the palace. At first, the farmer was reluctant to leave his home, but the king soon convinced him. He needed his adviser to be available at all times. After all, there weren’t many people in the court who could be trusted.
With the farmer’s wisdom, things in the country started getting better. The king was generous and paid his adviser well. With time, the farmer became rich. Not only that, but when people learned about his contributions, they loved him just as much as they loved their king. The land, once shrouded in darkness, became one of the most powerful countries of its time.
Happier with his new adviser than he had ever been, the king arranged his marriage with the princess, who was next in line for the throne. Their wedding took place with all the pomp and show, but the farmer was a humble man and remained true to his roots. Knowing that one day he would be accountable for all his deeds, he never let money or power get to his head.
After the king’s death, the princess abdicated the throne, and with everyone’s approval, her husband became the king, thus ascending from rags to riches. His life was perfect. In fact, it was too good to be true. Soon enough, the universe blessed him with twin daughters. He named them Sara and Sana. The girls were the apple of their eyes and the king and the queen spoiled them both.
As the girls were growing up, they never played together and fought with each other all the time. They were the exact opposites, and it made it difficult for them to understand each other. Sara loved her sister, but Sana was selfish and self-centered. She didn’t like her twin and barely tolerated her presence. Both princesses stayed away from each other as much as possible, which was easy when they lived in an enormous palace.
The reason Sana hated Sara was not understandable when the girl was so sweet and caring. Everyone was worried about Sana’s behavior, but Sara always ignored it. She often felt sad, so she made many other friends and played with them instead. Even fairies liked to play with her, not to mention the animals. They all adored her. She was like a warm breeze, and within the walls of the palace, she was every being’s favorite person.
The only two people oblivious to their daughter’s plight were the king and the queen. King was always busy with the matters of the state, and to the queen, her twins were perfect. Thus, in this way, the princesses grew up, with little to no moral education from their parents. The wisest advisor and the most benevolent king of all time forgot to raise his children well.
Sad how these things unfold. The difference in the two sisters’ personalities became more pronounced with age. Even their parents couldn’t help but finally notice how different they were on the inside, even though they looked alike on the outside. Gradually, their inner selves affected their outward looks. Sara, who had a good and kind heart, was more beautiful, with eyes brighter than the stars and a face that glowed with happiness and love. While Sana was dull and sick looking. Her eyes had a meanness that no one could help but notice.
On their eighteenth birthday, the king invited everyone, from kings and queens of other countries to mere commoners. The party was lavish, and the sisters looked their best. Yet Sara was the center of attention. She was open and friendly, talking to everyone, laughing at their jokes, and making the most of her party.
Sana noticed this and became jealous. Her heart filled with hatred. Why wasn’t she the center of everyone’s attention? When she thought like that, she became more and more miserable, and just wanted to kill her sister. Then, a thought occurred to her, ‘
Why not?’ With Sara gone, she would be the only princess, then all the love in the world would be hers.
One day she suggested going out for a walk and Sara agreed readily. They were walking through the woods. For once, Sana was being agreeable, and both sisters were having fun. As they were crossing a bridge, Sana pushed her sister. Sara fell into the water. She cried for help, but there was no one there except Sana, who stood on the bridge looking smug.
Sana returned to the palace alone and told everyone that her sister had drowned in the river. The king sent his men in search of Sara, hoping that they might save her, but they couldn’t find her. There was no sign of her anywhere. Everyone was heartbroken. The entire nation mourned the loss of their beloved princess.
Following his daughter’s loss, the king fell sick with grief. The sorrow was too much for him to cope with. Soon he died, and the queen went mad after losing her beloved husband right after her daughter.
The rival king considered it the best opportunity and attacked their kingdom, destroying everything. The queen died within the year and Sana was alone with no one to love her. In her jealousy, she took the wrong step. Now she was in exile, forced to leave her home. She lost the only family she had and became a penniless princess with no means of income to support herself.
One day, she knocked on the door of a rich merchant hoping for charity. She had heard that his wife was generous to the poor. The merchant’s wife opened the door and gave some money to the poor beggar girl.
Sana was shocked to see that the merchant’s wife was none other than her sister Sara. She cried and babbled, asking for forgiveness. Sara forgave her sister and told her she still loved her.
A very kind man rescued her on the day she fell into the river. He took her to his house. She didn’t return to the palace because she knew it would make Sana unhappy. She just wanted her twin to be happy.
After a few months, she married the merchant and moved to his country. She had been living there ever since. The news of her parent’s demise did not reach her, perhaps because she lived in a remote village, where few people came and went.
Sara asked her sister to stay with her, as she was Sana’s only living relative. From a noble beginning to a humble end, the princesses reunited and lived happily ever after.
The hands of fate should not be tested. What it gave freely it could take away just as easily. Yet, fate was kinder to people who knew how to repent and learn from their mistakes.
Witches of the World
Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, there was a small island where only witches dwelled. One day, a fairy, named Moonfrost, passed through the island by chance. She was looking for her next adventure when she stumbled upon a group of witches.
Moonfrost saw them gathered in a field with a fire blazing in their midst and something nasty boiling in a cauldron. The foul stench prompted her to investigate. Making herself invisible, she hovered near the fire to find out what they were up to.
The witches laughed and talked gaily as if they didn't have a care in the world. Nothing seemed amiss. After a while, an immense cloud of smoke rose from the cauldron and took the shape of an owl. At once, all of them stopped talking and turned their attention to the owl.
"Oh, great witches of the world!" The owl spoke in a harsh, clear voice. "Why have you summoned me?"
One of them moved forward and said, "The wisest of all, we have summoned you to ask a few questions which have been bothering us. We can't live in peace without knowing the answers to them."
"Ask, I'll speak only the truth because that's my obligation."
Moonfrost had heard the stories about the wise owl, but it was the first time she was seeing him up and close. His majestic form and no-nonsense persona intrigued her, and she continued to eavesdrop.
"Why do we live in this land where no other creature dwells?"
"Your elders were cruel. They tried to destroy the world. There was chaos, and everyone was unhappy with the way witches lived. All the other creatures of the world united against the wicked witches and forced them to leave the world, and come here, to this island, at the edge of all lands so that the rest of the world may live in peace."
Oh, Moonfrost knew that story, but that wasn't how it was told these days. She was wondering about it when another witch asked the next question, "Why can't we find a way out of here?"
"When they shunned you, people put a curse on the island. Hence, you cannot see any way out. It is right there, in front of you, but you will never find it without outside help."
At this response, Moonfrost was shocked. She had always assumed that witches lived in isolation because all the other creatures hated them, and not because they were practically prisoners there.
"How is it fair for us to be punished for something we didn't do? We are not like our elders, after all."
"Of course, it is fair. You are just the same, and when or if the time comes, you will prove yourself to be just as merciless as your elders. It is in your nature to be this way—to be cruel. They call witches wicked for a reason, you know."
Moonfrost noticed the witches went silent. It must be difficult for them to accept reality. No one knew how they might behave in the real world and among their fellow creatures. Punishing someone before they committed a crime felt wrong to her.
There must be a way to end their banishment. They could live with the rest of the world in harmony. How different from others could they possibly be? Fairies also had magic, and they used it for the good. We could teach the witches to do the same. It wasn't like humans were all saints. There was good and bad everywhere.
"If we want to be just like everyone else and not be cruel, then what should we do?" one of them said, bringing Moonfrost out of her reverie. She was curious to know how the owl would respond to the query.
"You cannot be like others because you are you," he replied in all seriousness.
That gave Moonfrost a pause. He was right, after all. Every creature living on earth had some inherent qualities that they couldn't get rid of. Could the witches learn not to be wicked?
She looked around and saw the disappointment clear on their faces and felt sorry for them. No one wanted to be cruel. No one was wicked by choice—they could be good, too.
After a long pause, they said, "Please, tell us something which will help us. We do not want to live in banishment. We are tired of living alone, in this faraway land, apart from other creatures of the world."
"Why do you want to leave this land? You have everything here, pleasant homes, delicious food, a beautiful homeland, and above all, you have magic. You can do whatever you want, and you don't need to pay for anything. There are no rules and regulations. You have no problems. You are all alike and thus, you have no one to fear. So, tell me, wicked witches, why do you want to leave all this?"
At the Owl's response, Moonfrost was thoughtful too, waiting for their answer. This place sounded idyllic, then why were the witches desperate to become a part of the world? No other creature was as wicked as the witches if the stories of the past were to be believed, but the world was divided into factions, and people fought with each other all the time.
"You are right, of course, but it bores us—this life, and we want to explore the world, see what is beyond this land. We want to know other creatures in the world. We need to be free. So, please help us. Oh, the wise one!"
Finally, Moonfrost understood. The witches didn't hate their home, rather they hated not having a choice. Freedom was something to be valued more than everything else in the world. No wonder they were desperate to be free. Who wouldn't be? She noticed the Owl was also thoughtful for a moment, then he looked directly at her. He must have sensed her presence.
"Dear fairy, would you be kind enough to show yourself?" he said to her, and she did.
The witches looked at her in awe. It must shock them to see a fairy among themselves. "With your golden hair, shiny blue eyes, and white wings, you look like an angel," one remarked. "We didn't know such beauty existed. We've heard about it, sure, but to see it is something else."
"Our elders weren't wrong in their description of the beauty of fairies," another said, making Moonfrost blush. She had never considered herself beautiful. To hear such admiration in their voices was a heady feeling.