The Soul of a Woman
Once upon a time, there lived a pure
white owl in a deep, dark forest. It was said that the owl was cursed; no one
dared approach her for fear of falling prey to her estranged enchantments.
One
beautiful day, a young man found himself lost in the tangled forest. He had no
choice but to spend the night in the thicket.
In
the middle of the night, a snowy owl swooped in. Where others before had
swatted her away, he instead sang to her as she sat on a branch. The owl gently
pecked his right cheek, gave him the Emerald of Wisdom, and glided off.
On
the second night, the owl swooped in as the young man ate. As before, the
majestic bird settled on her branch. The young man went to her and held out his
hand with several delectable morsels of food. After eating, the owl softly pecked
his left cheek, gave him the Ruby of Passion, and glided off.
During
the third night, the owl settled again on her branch. As the young man made his
way over to her, a kitten curled about his ankles and he lifted the little fur
ball to his chest. The owl delighted in their company. She gingerly pecked his
lips, gave him the Diamond of Love, and glided off.
Early
the fourth night, the owl swooped in and settled on her branch. The young man fetched
water from the living-well and gave her some of the mystic water. She lightly pecked
the crown of his head and gave him the Pearl of Purity. However, this time, she
did not glide off. She pulled only the golden feathers that lay amongst her
snowy white ones and laid them in a trail to guide him out of the forest.
The
young man made his way back to his castle; for you see, he was a prince. That
night, when he went to bed, he had a dream. He saw a beautiful white owl glide
gracefully by and land on a hanging branch. Intrigued, he watched the
magnificent bird with its entrancing eyes. As the sun began to set, the golden
rays played tricks on his eyes and he thought he saw a young woman in place of
the bird. Then he awoke.
Unable
to go back to sleep, he called on those of great talent to advise him as he
weaved a stunning crown of golden feathers inlaid with the precious gems gifted
to him. With the North Star to guide him, he made his way back to the snow-white
owl. When he found her, he laid the crown before her, bowed, and returned to his
home.
As
the sun set that evening, it was announced that he had a guest. At the gate
stood the fair maiden from his dream, outlined in gold from the sun’s rays. Her
knowledge was astounding, her beauty unmatched. Her voice was like song. But it
was her kind, soulful eyes that stole his heart.
“How
may I serve thee?” He asked.
“But
Sir, you already have. When I was distraught, you comforted me with your words
of wisdom in song. When I was famished, you shared with me your passion fruit,
though you had not much. When I was lonely, you gave me all the love you had
and more. And when I grew thirsty, you brought me the gift of pure life. All of
this from a humble man with a noble and worthy heart. Your soul touched mine
and you freed me. In turn, I share with you my kingdom, my wisdom, my passion,
my love, my life. Upon the princess’ head was the gold crown he gave to the owl
and in her arms, the kitten.
They
married at once and their kingdoms united and thrived. The blessed couple
revisited their tree on every anniversary, professing their love in the now
blossoming forest, and everyone …
… Lived happily ever after.
The End
