The princess and her looking glass

A fairy tale

The princess and her looking glass 

Part 1

There once was a princess with a wonderful life. She lived in a little town called Finn, where the people were kind and warm and knew each other by name. The princess was known by her title. All of the villagers were  deeply respectful and always proud to cross her path. 

"Good morning princess!" They would say, tipping their hats and smiling gladly. 

Over time the princess became sad. Although everyone was very kind to her she could not understand why. She felt cold and  lost in the warmth of her little home. The princess began to pine for  something outside. She would spend hours staring into the woods,  wondering where she belonged. 

One morning rather than meeting the people of the town she awoke  early and walked to the edge of the wood. Among the trees stood  an odd little house. The princess had never noticed it before. It was so  unusual that she stopped and stared. It certainly looked like a house, but  it was as though the trees had shaped it themselves. Even stranger, she  could not see any sort of entrance. 

As she stood staring a door suddenly swung open with a loud creak.  The princess was astonished to see a little old lady in the doorway.

"And who are you when you're at home!" the old lady croaked, so loudly that she threatened to burst.

"Oh I'm sorry" stammered the princess " I didn't know you lived here"

"Well why would you?" the old lady snapped, turning her back and  shuffling back into the house. "Are you coming in or not you silly girl,  it's cold out there you know" 

The old lady walked to the stove and began to heat up some water. She poured in green leaves and stirred up a strong smelling brew.

"Spit it out then" she said with a slightly bitter smile "People don't visit me for the good of my health you know" 

"I don't know why I came, I was just walking" the princess said in surprise.

The old lady seemed to grow larger as she stared directly at the  princess, who couldn't help but shrink from her twinkling eyes.

"I see, well if you're not going to speak, you might as well go home"

The old lady turned her back and busied herself preparing the tea. 

The princess became frightened that she would not meet this  unusual person again. She was certainly different from the people in the village. No one had ever been so rude to her.

"No wait! she said, feeling bolder. "I know that this is your home but  I didn't mean to bother you, and I don't know why you have to be so nasty!" 

The old lady burst out into a strange sort of cackle. It was loud and carefree  and the princess knew that the old lady was laughing to herself and  not at her. 

"So you do know why you came after all" she laughed "Don't you worry little princess, when you're as old as me you don't stand on ceremony" 

Without thinking the princess poured out everything she had kept hidden.  She told the strange old lady how cold and lost she felt and how people confused her. The old lady listened carefully, occasionally sipping her tea and smiling softly. 

The princess became very excited " I'm so glad to have met a friend like you!I've always known I didn't belong in Finn. I'll come here and build my own  little home in the woods. You can visit anytime you want!" 

The princess was so happy telling her story about a home in the woods that she didn't notice the old lady begin to frown. 

" Little one, you can't just run away and live with me" " I am old and weary and you are full of life" and remember, she said with a distant look "I was  young once"

The princess felt her heart begin to break. She had found someone who  understood and now she was lost again. 

"Can you help me, please help me" she said as tears filled her eyes 

The old lady could not bear to see the princess so unhappy. 

"There is one thing I can do, but please do not blame me" Searching  through her cabinet she took out a small looking glass and handed it to the princess. Look through this and you will understand people better".

The princess was so happy that she hugged the old lady and ran into town as quickly as she could. She did not notice that her friend was crying in the doorway. 

Part 2 

When the princess got into town the first person she met was Finlay the baker.He was a giant, jolly man who was always causing laughter with bad jokes.  She ran straight to him and shouted

"Hello Finlay, I'm so glad to see you!" 

"Thank you princess, you're in a rush today, a sweet for someone special?" he chuckled merrily. 

"No, no" she said impatiently "It's this, look!" and   handed him the looking glass. 

"Oh now that's a fine thing, look me have a look" he said, playing along. 

As soon as the baker looked at the her through the glass a faraway look settled on his face .He was seeing all of his fondest dreams and treasured memories. 

"You keep this safe" he said, becoming serious for a moment "Now run along, I'm sure you've got more important things to do" He passed the looking glass back gently. "Oh and take these" he said, handing her two carefully wrapped sweets. 

"Thank you very much" said the princess and glancing back she saw that the baker was standing completely still. He looked as though he had just woken from a wonderful dream. The princess was delighted. The glass must let people know see something wonderful! She could not wait to show the whole village. 

Running on she almost collided with a girl called Elsa who was playing in the street. The princess was overjoyed, now they could become the best of friends. 

"Hello Elsa!" she exclaimed "I'm so happy to see you!" 

As she said this the princess raised the glass to her eye. Suddenly her smile crumbled.  All that she could see were the young girl's grief and absent dreams. The princess was shocked. 

"What's wrong?" shouted Elsa but the princess had already started to run. She had to see the others. Everyone she met was kind and smiled, asking why she was in such a hurry. The princess could not forget what she had seen through the glass.

She began to despair but remembered how peaceful the baker had looked when he looked through the glass. She decided that she must keep it safe and let everyone look through it. Then they would see their fondest dreams.

Part 3 

The princess made her way around the town as quickly as she could. She let every person she met look through the glass and all of them were filled with joy and gratitude. The princess tried her best not to look herself until she met a lady who was very sick. When this lady looked through the glass she was overcome with happiness at all of the dreams she had fulfilled and memories she had made.

"Princess you must see this she said, it is so beautiful"

When the princess took the glass she saw all of the sadness and loss of a long life. Without thinking she slammed the door and fled sobbing from the house.  All the way home she cried and cursed the cruel witch who had given her the looking glass. She stormed up the stairs to a tiny room in the tallest tower of the castle. Furious and out of breath she smashed the glass against the floor, watching it shatter. When her anger faded the princess could not believe what she had done. She thought of all the happy dreams and memories that she could not give to anyone. 

Terrified, she tried to piece the shards of glass together but it was hopeless. The looking glass was gone and she could think of nothing to do but sit and cry. As she wept the door creaked open and a little old lady bundled in. 

"Oh I'm late again" she said matter-of-factly "Come here girl, what have you done to your hands?" 

Reaching into her bag the old lady took out leaves, ointment and small wooden broom. She carefully wrapped up the wounded hands, swept up the glass and pointed to the bed.

"I think you've had enough excitement for one day" She said shaking her head "Go to sleep and don't meddle with those bandages, you won't find better in this dozy town." 

With that she turned and shuffled off, mumbling to herself about young girls nowadays. 

The princess slept soundly that night and in the morning her hands had healed and the skin felt soft. When she emerged from her room the king and queen were already at the breakfast table. "Freya!" they said, for that was her name, "What trouble you have been getting into lately, that is no way for our girl to behave!" Although they were upset they could not help but be happy that she was safe. 

Every since that day when the Princess walks in the street people greet her differently."Hello Freya, how are you today?" they say and she asks them in return. Sometimes they are happy and sometimes they are sad. Still the princess cannot help but feel glad to be part of something as strange and wonderful as a town full of people.

Sometimes she feels like talking to her friend in the wood but as the old lady has been known to say, there is tea to be made and hearts to be mended, and it's no use coming to her with questions you already know the answer to. That is unless you need to.