Authors: Maya Shepherd
He raised his hands and did not quite know whether to laugh or be angry. "Any other girl would be happy about it, to be moved up from last place to number three."
"But I'm not any other girl! Medea hates me! How could you do me just as your preference? "
"I enjoyed our conversation liked. I thought we were on our way! "
The Heera had believed, but that had been before her sister had given her with tears in his eyes allegations. She could not bear it, sad or even in tears to see Medea. She was here to protect her and now she just made her sister a hard time. "Because you were wrong!", Snarled Heera unyielding.
Lean built strictly in front of her. His arms relentlessly crossed over his chest. "I've never met someone who is so ungrateful and shameless as you are."
For the first time his words hit her, because she knew he was right. They punished him that he saw something good in you. It was not used to someone more saw her as a girl who would be better become a boy. But she could not admit it to him. "Then we are indeed united," Heera hung up, turned on his heel and left him with a bad conscience alone in the hallway back.
When she stepped back into the hall, the other girls had already gathered around Erina. The fact that she was now ascended to the number one, the others talked to them and tried to coax her secrets. Heera sat alone at the end of the table, but when she saw Erina, she peeled off the group of girls and sets up e Heera as usual opposite. They had breakfast in silence, but Heera could see and feel how Erina had grown internally by the choice of the prince. But unlike her Medea did not increase the success to head. Heera it expected her to high that they sat down beside her, even though no one else to appreciate her presence did - at least her own sister.
Medea had pressed her face in one of the pillows that lay on her bed and cried desperately. Although she had done everything right for the prince Heera pulled in front of her. If today is the day of his decision, they would have to return home, while her sister, who had resisted with tooth and nail to apply for it, is likely to stay with him. But they wept not only over their humiliation, but also because she felt ashamed of their own conduct. In her heart she wished Heera all the luck of the earth, but she was not willing to give up their own dreams. Ever since she could remember, she dreamed of one day becoming the wife of the prince. Ever since she was in the palace; this dream grew into the skies. Lean was better than she had ever hoped. It would break her heart to lose him to another, especially when these others would be her own sister. They could not bear to see him with her. They do not even fit together. The Prince needed a woman at his side that strengthened his back and an open ear for his Sor had gen. A woman who knew how to behave and entertain. A woman who was not only pretty but also kind. Heera was exactly the opposite. Whenever she met Lean, they seemed to annoy him. He would suffer their whims and have to repeatedly stand up to them. You were not a woman, but a competitor in for him.
The little lark began in her cage to chirp: "Beautiful Medea, why are you crying?"
"Oh, lark, like the Prince love my sister more than me."
"Do not worry. Come to the window and sing for me! "
Medea got up from her bed and wiped his tears. She was wearing the cage from the table to the window ledge and started for the lark singing. Lured by her melodious voice a bird flew past her window. It was a big ugly birds with gray plumage and eerie red eyes. He flew for a while in front of her back and forth, before settling on a tree opposite. He sat there, staring at Medea with his red eyes. She did not see the bird, until he called her and said, "Good day, girl with the beautiful voice. All over the country singing you your praises. And really, you have the most beautiful voice! "
Only startled Medea, she was pleased and said: "My thanks, dear bird. I must be a lucky child that even the birds praise my voice! "
The bird squawked: "Your beauty is your voice. You are blessed, however, I am neither beautiful nor I have a voice like yours. So gift your voice for me one night only! "
Medea shook his head vigorously. "If I give you my voice, I will no longer be able to speak."
The bird asked: "Just for one night! I will reward you richly. "
"Not one minute I would suggest you give my voice," said Medea hard. "She is my pride and joy."
Since the bird smiled, looking out for fear. "For the last time I ask you, will you give me your voice?"
Medea did it scare him already, but the lark chirped loudly, "What's the big night against the rest of your life? Schenk the ugly bird your voice! "
"But the prince will never decide for myself if I cannot sing for him!"
"It's just one night. Already the next morning you will again be able as ever sing so sweetly. I you want to be your voice, as long as you have your own not. Be kind and they lend the bird! "
Medea was so upset that the tears came, but she trusted the lark and so she agreed. "You shall have my voice for one night!"
"So let it be," said the bird was flying around around the tree and sang:
"Beautiful girl, pure heart,
shall live without pain. "
After he had sung his song, the big bird flew away. Medea tried to say something, but no sound came from her throat, but fell Gold coins from her mouth whenever she opened it. They collected a hurry to send them their dear parents.
The ugly bird flew on to the window of Daphne and exclaimed: "Good day, the girl with magnificent curly hair. Throughout the kingdom one raves about your hair splendor. And really, you have the most beautiful curls! "
Daphne rejoiced and went to the window. "My thanks, dear bird!"
The bird squawked: "You have so many curls because you can give a little of me certainly. Give me your curls, only for a night! "
Daphne shook her head vigorously. "My curls do you want? Not even for one night! Who would have ever heard of a future queen without hair? "
The bird was persistent and asked again: "Just one night! I will reward you richly. "
"Not even a single hair I'd give you," snarled Daphne. "My curls are my pride and joy. Shut your beak and fly further, or I'll have the guards come with their guns, which are scare you already. "
"The guns I'm afraid not," replies the e Vogel with eerie voice. "I'm immune and bulletproof. For the last time I ask you, you give me your curls? "
"No!" Daphne shouted angrily.
"So let it be," said the bird was flying around around the tree and sang:
"Falls from the sky, the snow,
silenced the voice of greed.
The wind blows and the rain runs.
The fire is burning and the water flows.
Only when you know the words,
returns the gift again. "
After he had sung his song, flew the ugly bird thereof. Daphne watched him, stroked her full curls and afraid.
The bird visited each of the girls and asked them about what they liked most. Those who were willing to give him their most valuable for a night were rewarded with gold, the other he cursed.
But it was only when the girls woke up the next morning, they were the consequences of their greed to feel. Not a lock fell more of Daphne's head. She was bald like an old man. Xenia could not dance longer, but limping, as if she had a lame leg. At hiring a petite nose Phoebe grew a tankard, as big as a fist. Acelyas slender fingers were as thick as sausages and Celestia, which was known for its wise choice of words, no longer came a sound from his lips. She raged and wept bitterly, went to the royal family and shouted, "Look what the bird has done to us!"
Prince Lean rose from his throne. "No bird it was, the Witch of the East has put you on my behalf to the test. Birds are birds and cannot do magic. As long as your hearts are not pure, your gifts will not return. "
Heera, Medea, Erina and Agnes were the only ones who had been spared from the curse. But Heera took pity on the weeping girl. The prince had gone too far in her eyes. She stepped trembling with anger against him.
"How could you be so cruel? The girls are as big as my fist never find a man with no hair and a nose. You cannot hurt them! "
"I have not done, because they're all by yourself to blame!" Lean insisted relentlessly. "Had her heart been as pure as yours, the witch would reward you with gold."
"If your heart pure, then you would be kind and would return to them their gifts," Heera yelled at him. King Egeas rose angrily from his throne. "Hold your tongue, girl! Everyone knew that await the chosen tests. Rejoice that you've passed and let the good of others concern his! "
"No!" Says Heera refused. She had just begun to see something good in the Prince and he turned out to be heartless. The bird had asked her for her courage and she had given him this without hesitation for a night. Then she lay frightened and crying under her bed. Every tear had become a gold coin. Only in the morning she had crawled back under the bed and had felt stronger than ever. "A prince should not only be beautiful but also brave and good. I ask you again, give back to the girls what the witch has taken from them. "
Lean began to doubt. He would not have expected so much compassion from Heera. Your reaction made him thoughtfully, "I cannot return to elect their gifts. You are now a thing of the Witch of the East. "
"You have entrusted the witch, then you can also ask you to make your curse reversed."
"I order you not!" Replied Lean. "She came to check the girl for me. The gifts of the girls who have not passed the tests, are their reward. "
Surprisingly suddenly mingled Queen Niobe into the discussion. "If you care so much the good of others, then should be your test, retrieve the gifts of other elect."
Lean looked at his mother scared. "But the island of the witch is far to the east and the road is full of danger."
"That does not bother me! I'm not called without reason Heera, the Fearless, "the girl replied boldly. "No way is too long and too dangerous for me. I grow on any challenge! "
"So be it," Niobe said. "Are you going to insist your exam, you shall continue to remain one of the elect. If you fail, you will return home. "The queen had her proposed examining not without guile. Secretly, she hoped Heera would fail and thus the annoying girl finally was going on.
But Heera did not hesitate and went even in the morning alone on the road. She was glad to be able to escape the castle with its high walls and went to meet the rising sun.
After she had left the deep forest behind, the snow ceased to fall and it became warmer with each step. Finally, she came through a strange neighborhood: It was the country of the animals. There they saw strange creatures, those who wore three rows of teeth, others that instead of feet had four hands, some had fur instead of silky hair. But these animals, both large and small, spoke with human voices. She came to trees, the leaves instead wore fleshy fruits and eyes had, out of which she watched. Heera hoping to find in this strange place, the Witch of the East, but all the animals and trees that they interviewed, knew no advice.
They kept walking until there was sunset by the sea. But it did not deter them and built the next morning a boat, braided hemp a sail and drove across the great river, always eastwards. After a while, appeared on the horizon an island. Even from afar recognized Heera that it was a meager, small island, grew on the three trees. The first tree was an apple tree, red fruits hanging from its branches. The second tree was shimmering white sheets as of pure silver. The third tree but was entirely made of gold and shone like a beacon.
Heera went on shore and walked over to the three trees. It provides an amazement among the Gold Tree. This was as high as a tower and its branches to spread like a golden dome above her. Heera was when she stands in a high-domed palace. A sudden rumbling and thundering crash made her jump scared - the golden dome burst into twelve parts, which plunged down like pieces of wall and immediately began the mighty trunk and fire was ablaze. The shock was so great that the leaves of the silver tree and the red fruit of the apple tree fell to the ground.
Heera but dared not move to and held protectively both arms above his head. Faded only when the thunder and the fire went out, she looked around. The gold tree was burned to the stump. The other two trees had their leaves and fruits lost. Heera waiting for something to happen, but all was quiet. The Witch of the East was not to look, and they gathered the apples from the ground and ran back to their boat. The silvery leaves left them unnoticed because of silver nobody was sick.
It was already night and the sea was wild, up and down, they threw the waves. At dawn, but she heard a loud buzzing about. She looked up at the sky and saw a huge bird coming out of the clouds. The bird perched on her boat and stared at Heera with his red eyes. It was the same bird who had asked for their courage and the other girls put their gifts.
"I know you! Are you the Witch of the East? "Heera wanted curious to know from him.
"Give me only an apple," asked the bird. Heera gave him a red fruit in his open beak. When he had swallowed this, he said: "The Witch of the East gave me a man's voice, but I serve you. I sang to the girls the magic song that the witch had taught me. "
"You're the girl stole her gifts!"
"I asked her to lend me this just for one night, but they were too greedy and should now pay for it."
"But there must be a way I can break the curse. Tell me what to do! "Heera asked the ugly beast.
"You will still pass through so many sea and by many a country still wander before you'll find the witch. Seven days shall pass, on the girl to regret her arrogance! "The bird smiled. "Give me an apple and I will tell you a secret."
Heera gave him another fruit in the throat. After the bird had destroyed the apple, he sang:
"I know the words
And feel no fear.
The wind blows and the rain runs.
The fire is burning and the water flows.
Give me back the gifts. "
The bird left and Heera sailed four more days on the sea, before the country came into view. It was different than anything Heera had ever seen. She tied her boat and looked astonished to. There lived no animals or people, instead ran trees to their roots up and down busily, as if they were gnarled legs. Some people had an all you can t rebuf them. Heera went through the trees and jumped hastily to the side if you came to meet a tree. All of them were as big as giants and she felt like a dwarf among them. But suddenly she was grabbed from behind by two strong hands. She reached out and tried to resist, but she saw a big beautiful flower that she called: "Do not hit me. I did not mean to scare you. "