ONCE UPON A TIME

Once upon a time there was a peasant girl who said yes to everyone. She was taught that being there for other people was the only moral compass a righteous man must follow. The only times she thought of her own pleasure was when she was singing. Her songs were a blessing to everyone who could hear them and the peasants loved them.

One day, the king asked if someone would cut their hair for his queen. His queen wanted to make the most beautiful dolls in the world. 

The girl thought: ''I should cut my hair. It's too long anyway and it's not like it makes me any special or cute.'' So she cut off her beautiful hair and the king organized magnificent party for the whole village to show appreciation for her sacrifice. Everybody applauded and approved the girl, but none wanted to really meet her, for the queen was the star of the party and the girl now looked too poor. ''It shall grow again'', she thought, ''It's more important to be a good person than to look pretty.''

The queen made beautiful dolls with beautiful hair, and soon she realised they would look even more pretty if they had real body parts. So the king made an offer-whoever gives one finger for the queen, his statue will be made in the centre of the village so that everyone remembers him forever, and his courage and selflessness shall become glorious. The girl thought, ''I have enough fingers, I could give one. It's not like I am anyone special and my hands don't serve this society enough.''
She gave one finger from the hand, and one from the feet. Another glorious party was held in the castle of the village, and everyone applauded the girl, saying: ''That was very brave. I wish I was brave like that'', ''There aren't enough people like you in the village'', ''But I don't remember the girl who cut her hair, is she here too?''. The girl thought:''Her dolls are beautiful and eternal, my fingers were worth it.'' 

Soon, she realised that life wasn't easy without  anyone around to help her with all the everyday work, especially when one doesn't have all the fingers. People from the village tried to stay far from her, being afraid their help would be needed and no one enjoys the freak company. They were more fascinated by the beautiful statue of the girl, expressing their admiration and appreciation in front of it.

The queen has almost finished her work, and the dolls were about to look spectacular. Still, they would look even more majestic if they had real tongues. So the offer from the king was made again: ''Whoever gives his tongue, this village will have his name and everyone shall remember the sacrifice of the brave person pronouncing his name for eternity.'' But this time the girl didn't want to sacrifice herself. She would though, if only she wasn't so fond of singing.

Since there hadn't been any volunteers, the king decided to search for the girl to make her give her tongue. He told her:''You have done so much for this village. If you give your tongue, the people shall remember and speak your name forever. Is there anything more kind than giving yourself to other people, and gaining such respect, honour and glory no man other than myself will ever have?''. ''But I'm dead if I can't sing, your majesty. I honour your offer and kindness, but please, take anything other than my tongue.'' The king was disappointed, angry and so afraid of the queen's reaction if he returned to the castle without a tongue. Being that weak, he decided to kill the girl. As the girl realised what was going to happen, she started to sing:

''Where love lives, there is no place for trade

I served my life and now it's late

this wasn't love, this was all hate

I'm not giving myself on the plate''

The king was so overwhelmed by the melody that he became speechless. He took the knife, cut his tongue off and went back to the castle. The queen asked the king who's tongue he had brought, but the king could not speak. When the queen realised it was his own tongue, she tore apart all of her dolls, demolished the statue and ordered a murder of the girl so that everyone forgets her unfortunate obsession. When the soldiers came after girl, she started to sing:

''one,two, three

none of us is free

for five six

the vanity exists

eight nine ten

it will cost you in the end''

The soldiers were astonished by the sound coming from the girls mouth. Before they realised, she had already been far gone and no one has ever heard a word from her again. The queen decided to execute the soldiers, and the music was forbidden from that day on until the queen herself died. 

Still, once in a year, the peasants swear they could hear the storm screaming the melody of the girl, singing: ''no more'' . Today, if you asked them about the king and the queen, they would not know. They don't remember the name of the girl either. They would tell you there was a fingerless and bold evil witch who enchanted the village with a song and escaped the death penalty. And the witch lived happily ever after in another kingdom. Peaceful and free.

source: favim.com

A.B.

Love, Invitation to Inspiration