Little Fairy

Once upon a time, there lived a king and a queen, and they had an only son. When the prince grew up, the king and queen threw a grand celebration. They invited the most noble people from across the kingdom. The windows shone with a thousand lights, and the white chambers sparkled with silver, gold, and precious gems. At midnight, the guests went home, and the prince went for a walk in the grove where old linden trees grew. The moon rose, and it became as bright as day. The prince couldn’t sleep. The grove seemed enchanted—the thick trunks of the old trees cast dark shadows, and the moonlight, filtering through the leaves, painted intricate patterns on the ground. Lost in thought, the prince wandered through the soft grass and didn’t notice when he stepped into a clearing. There, bathed in moonlight, stood a tiny fairy in a white dress adorned with golden embroidery. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, and on her head sparkled a golden crown studded with precious stones. She was as small as a doll! The prince stopped and couldn’t take his eyes off her. Suddenly, she spoke, her voice ringing like a silver bell:

"Beautiful prince! I was also invited to the celebration, but I didn’t dare come to your feast—I’m too small. But now I want to greet you under the moon, whose light replaces the sun’s rays for me!" The prince was enchanted by the little fairy. The night’s enchantress didn’t frighten him at all. He approached her and took her hand. But she suddenly pulled away and vanished. All that remained in the prince’s hand was the fairy’s tiny glove, so small that he could barely fit it on his little finger. Saddened, he returned to the palace and didn’t tell anyone about whom he had seen in the old grove.

The next night, the prince went back to the grove. He wandered under the bright moon, searching for the little fairy. But she was nowhere to be found. The prince grew sad, took out the glove, and kissed it. At that very moment, the fairy appeared before him. The prince was overjoyed—his heart leapt with happiness! They walked together under the moon, chatting merrily. And something extraordinary happened! As they talked, the tiny fairy grew noticeably taller before the prince’s eyes. When it was time to part, she was twice as tall as the night before. Now the glove no longer fit her hand, and she returned it to the prince, saying:

"Take the glove as a pledge and keep it safe." With those words, she vanished.

"I will keep your glove close to my heart!" exclaimed the prince. From then on, the prince and the fairy met every night in the grove under the old linden trees. During the day, the prince could find no peace. He longed for his fairy, eagerly awaiting the night when the moon would rise, wondering, "Will my fairy come tonight?" The prince’s love for the little fairy grew stronger and stronger, and the fairy grew taller each night. On the ninth night, during the full moon, the fairy stood as tall as the prince.

"Now I will come to you every time the moon rises!" the fairy said cheerfully in her gentle voice.

"No, my dear! I cannot live without you! You must be mine. I will make you my queen!"

"My love," replied the fairy, "I will be yours, but you must promise to love only me for the rest of your life!"

"I promise, I promise!" the prince cried without hesitation. "I promise to love only you forever and never look at anyone else."

"Good! But remember—I will be yours only as long as you remain true to your word." Three days later, they were married. The guests marveled at the beauty of the little fairy.

The prince and his young wife lived happily for seven years, until the old king passed away. A great crowd gathered for the funeral. The most beautiful and noble women of the kingdom wept at his coffin. Among them was a black-eyed beauty with fiery red hair. She didn’t pray or mourn the late king but instead kept her gaze fixed on the young prince. The prince noticed the red-haired beauty watching him, and it pleased him. As the funeral procession moved to the cemetery, the prince, who was escorting his wife, glanced at the black-eyed beauty three times. Suddenly, his wife stumbled on her skirt and nearly fell.

"Oh, look, my dress has become too long!" she exclaimed.

Indeed, the prince didn’t realize that his wife had grown shorter.

After the old king was buried, everyone returned to the palace. The red-haired beauty followed the prince closely, never leaving his side, and he stole glances at her. The prince didn’t notice that his wife had turned back into a tiny fairy. As soon as they entered the old grove, the fairy vanished completely. The prince married the red-haired beauty with black eyes. But he didn’t live happily with his new wife for even three days. First, she demanded a diamond bed. And then it began... She wanted one thing after another, all rare and extravagant. If the prince failed to fulfill her wishes, she would burst into tears and scold him. The prince grew so tired of her greedy whims that he banished her from the palace...

Only then did the prince realize what he had done. He grieved and longed for the little fairy. Once again, whenever the moon rose, he went to the grove with the old linden trees and called for his sweet, kind fairy. He searched for her, called for her, and grew old waiting. But the little fairy never returned to him...

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Little Fairy

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