The Lion's Enchantment
Illustrated By: Elizabeth Rocha
ONCE UPON A TIME there was a girl so poor that she had to wander about the world looking for work. One day a farmer hired her to watch his cows. Each morning she would take his cows to the meadow and at sunset, she would bring them back.
In the meadow one afternoon, the girl heard a loud groan that sounded almost human. She rushed to the spot. There, to her surprise, was a lion crying out in pain.
Though she was scared, the girl drew nearer and saw that the lion had a large thorn in one foot. She carefully pulled out the thorn, then bound up the wound with her handkerchief. The lion licked her hand with his big rough tongue.
She carefully pulled out the thorn, then bound up the wound with her handkerchief.
Suddenly remembering her cows, the girl rushed back to the meadow. But alas! She hunted everywhere but could not find even one cow. What could she do but to return home and confess to her master? He scolded her bitterly and even beat her. Then he said, "Tomorrow you will have to look after the pigs. Be sure you do not lose any of them!"
Exactly one year after she had found the lion, the girl was tending the pigs when she again heard a groan which sounded quite human. And there was the same lion on the ground, this time with a deep wound across his face.
No longer afraid of the creature, she washed the wound, lay healing herbs upon it, and bound it up. The lion thanked her as he had done before.
No longer afraid of the creature, she washed the wound, lay healing herbs upon it, and bound it up.
Worried, she rushed back. But as before, the pigs in her flock were gone! She searched everywhere but it was no use.
The girl sank to the ground and wept bitterly, not daring to return again to her master empty-handed. At last she thought that if she climbed a tree she might get a wider view of the land and maybe find her lost pigs. But no sooner was she seated on the highest branch than something happened which put the pigs quite out of her mind.
Out of the woods walked a young man who came directly to her tree. He moved aside a large rock by the tree trunk, stepped down into what looked like a deep black hole, and disappeared.
Now the maiden was curious, so she decided to stay in the tree all night long until the young man came out again. The next morning, the rock was moved aside, but out came not the young man, but a lion instead. The lion looked around, then very slowly padded into the forest and disappeared from view.
The maiden was so curious by these strange goings-on that she climbed down the tree to see the rock for herself. It seemed like an ordinary enough rock. Yet she easily pushed the rock aside and discovered a deep opening underneath. She gingerly stepped down and found a toehold. Stepping down into a tunnel, she eventually came to a beautiful house.
Yet she easily pushed the rock aside and discovered a deep opening underneath.
In the house she discovered a library. There she passed many hours reading very good books, and left a favorite of hers out on the table. Then she prepared a good dinner in thanks to the host (eating a bit of it herself, as she was hungry), and clambered back up to the top of her tree. She looked again for her lost pigs, but not a trace of one could she see.
As the sun set, the same lion, walking much better this time, came out of the woods and back to the rock under the tree. Down he went. She waited, curious, and a while later out came the same young man. Again he looked about him left and right, saw no one, and softly stepped into the forest.
The maiden came down from the tree and did what she had done the day before, each time leaving a different book on the table and preparing a meal before she left. Thus three days went by. The next time the young man emerged, she called out, "Stop! Please, won't you tell me your name?"
The young man looked up, surprised. He said, "Why, are you the one who's been setting out the books and preparing my dinner?" She said it was she, and feeling safe, she climbed down the tree.
At first they talked about the three books. They were among his very favorite, he said, and said why. She heartily agreed, yet had other opinions too that the young man found fascinating. And so they chatted warmly and easily. Eventually the young man told his strange story.
And so they chatted warmly and easily.
He was born a Prince, the young man explained. Years ago had been captured by a giant and the beast cast a spell on him. All day long he must be a lion, and only at night could he return to his human shape. In his lion form, he had been the very same lion whom she had helped twice before. "And that is how I know," said the Prince, looking at her gently, "how truly kind you are."
What's more, the Prince told her, the giant who had enchanted him was the very same one who had stolen her cows and her pigs, out of spite for the kindnesses she had shown to him when he had been wounded as a lion.
The girl said, "There must be some way to break this terrible spell!"
"There is only one way," said the Prince with a sigh. "And that is if someone can get a lock of hair from the head of a King's daughter, spin it, and from its cloth weave a cloak for the giant."
"There is only one way," said the Prince with a sigh.
"I will go at once to the King's palace!" said the girl.
So they parted. Before the girl arrived at the King's palace, she was careful to wash herself and neatly arrange her hair. Quickly she was hired as a kitchen maid. Soon everyone at the palace talked about her neat and clean appearance.
By and by the Princess heard of her and sent for the girl. When she saw her, and how beautifully she had arranged her hair, the Princess told her she was to come and comb out hers.
Now the hair of the princess was very thick and it shone like gold. The girl combed and combed till it was brighter than the sun.
The Princess was pleased and invited her new servant to come every morning and comb her hair. At last, the girl took courage and asked permission to cut off one of the long, thick locks of hair.
The Princess, who was very proud of her hair, did not like the idea of parting with any of it, so she said no. But each day the girl hinted and sighed and begged to be allowed to cut off just one lock of the thick hair. At last the princess gave in. "Very well!" she finally exclaimed, "you may have it, on one condition -- that you find for me the finest Prince in all the land to marry."
"What kind of Prince would that be?" said the girl.
"You may have it, on one condition - that you find for me the finest Prince in all the land to marry!"
"You know!" said the Princess with a wave of her hand. "Dashing, charming, all that."
The girl answered that she would do so, and then the Princess permit her to cut off the lock. When she was alone, the girl wove the hair into a cloak that glittered like silk. When she brought it to the young man, he was surprised and delighted indeed. Yet his voice turned grave as he said unfortunately the only way was for her to carry the cloak straight to the giant, who lived on top of a high mountain, and that if she did not announce loudly enough that she was bringing the cloak, the monster would surely attack her. He begged her not to risk the danger, but the girl would not hear of it.
Before the maiden reached the top of the mountain, out rushed the giant, waving in one hand a sword and a club in the other. Quickly she called out as loudly as she could that she had brought him a cloak. At that, the giant stopped and invited her into his house.
He tried on the cloak but it was too short. Angrily, he threw it onto the floor. The girl picked up the cloak and ran off as quickly as she could. She returned quite in despair to the King's palace.
The next morning, when she was combing the Princess' hair, she begged all the more for permission to cut off just one more lock. "What do you need locks of my hair for, for goodness sake!" said the Princess. But she was fond of her servant who seemed so earnest and pleading, and besides, did such a good job of combing her hair, that at last the Princess gave in, on one condition - that the Prince whom the girl should find for her to marry would also be the handsomest Prince in the entire world.
The maiden said softly that she had already found such a Prince. Later, the girl spun more thread from the second lock and with it lengthened the giant's cloak and sleeves. When it was finished, she carried it again to the giant.
The maiden said softly that she had already found such a Prince.
This time the cloak fit perfectly! The giant was quite pleased, and he asked her what he could do for her in return. She said that the only reward he could give her was to take the spell off the Prince so he could stay human, night and day.
For a long time the giant would not hear of reversing his spell, but he liked the cloak so well that at last he said yes. He even told her the cows and pigs would be returned to her master by the end of the day. And this was the secret the giant gave to freeing the Prince of the enchantment - the girl must cast the lion into the pond near the mountain until the lion was entirely underwater. When the Prince finally emerged, he would be free from the enchantment forever.
The maiden went away in despair, for fear that the giant was only trying to trick her, and that after she had cast the lion into the water she would find that she had drowned the Prince.
The maiden went away in despair, for fear that the giant was only trying to trick her.
At the bottom of the mountain she joined the Prince, who was pacing anxiously, waiting for her. When he heard her story he comforted her and bade her to be of good courage, and to do as the giant had said. The next morning when he emerged in his lion's form, the maiden cast him into the pond near the mountain until he was entirely underwater. Soon after, out of the water came the Prince, beautiful as the day, and as glad to look upon as the sun himself.
The young man thanked the maiden for all she had done for him. He already knew that she was kind and brave, and yet there was something more, too. The girl felt it too, and when they looked into each other's eyes they seemed to see into each other's souls. The Prince declared that he would like her to be his wife and none other. But the maiden cried out that this could never be, for she had already given her promise to the Princess when she had cut off her hair that the Prince would wed her and her alone.
At once, the bliss the Prince had felt just moments before, fizzled. Sighing deeply, he said, "If that is what you have promised, then that is how it must be."
They went together to the King's palace, where the Princess with the golden hair lived. When the King and Queen saw the young man approach, a great joy filled their hearts. For it was their eldest son!
When the King and Queen saw the young man approach, a great joy filled their hearts.
For long ago their son had been captured by a giant and stolen away from the castle. Their daughter, the Princess with the golden hair, was delighted beyond measure to see her long-lost brother return.
The Prince asked his parents' permission to marry the girl who had saved him. His sister happily released the maiden from her promise, as she surely would not marry her own brother! Before long she married another Prince from a neighboring kingdom. And so the maiden and the Prince were married, later became the rulers of the land, and over time richly deserved all the honors showered upon them.
