Once upon a time, there was a castle. An old king lived there with his daughter. She had a special gift—she could control the weather. The princess guarded her abilities carefully and refused all suitors for a long time.
One evening, the king called her to him and said, “My dear daughter, I am old and sick. I don’t want you to remain alone in this world. In order for me to pass the kingdom on to you, you must find a good man who will be a wise king. But choose wisely.”
The princess was not enthusiastic, but she respected her father’s wish. She thought long and hard about how to test her suitors. She had just finished her plan when a prince from a neighboring kingdom arrived at the castle. He bowed and said, “Precious princess, I am Prince Edward. Our country is rich and our people are happy. I have waited a long time for this moment, for there is no woman more beautiful in the world. I have come to ask for your hand in marriage, and I will do anything to win you.”
“If you are so fearless and worthy of being a strong king, then I have a task for you,” replied the princess. “Far across the sea there is an island where a wild rose grows, the rarest in the world. It has blue petals and red thorns. If you bring it to me, I will become your wife.” The prince agreed, took a map, and set off on his journey.
Edward told himself that it couldn’t be such a difficult journey. However, he had no idea what pitfalls the princess had prepared for him. He mounted his horse and set off across the high mountains. As he traveled across them, the wind grew colder and a fierce blizzard began. The prince was surprised that it would snow so heavily in the spring, and he began to freeze. He was freezing, and even his horse could barely continue. Finally, they arrived at an old cottage. The prince knocked, and an old woman opened the door. “Good day, grandmother. I am a prince, and the weather has caught me unprepared. May I warm myself here?” he asked politely. The old woman willingly let him in, fed him, and gave him an old fur coat.
The prince thanked her and set off again. When he crossed the high mountains, something unprecedented awaited him again. Beyond the mountains lay a long, scorching desert. The prince took off all his clothes, but the heat was unbearable. What he needed most was water, but there was none to be found. Suddenly, they met a traveler who was passing by. “Do you have any water?” asked the prince. “I do, but in exchange for your fur coat,” replied the traveler. So they made a deal, and the prince continued across the desert.
Behind it lay only a forest, but a violent storm broke out there. Even so, the prince did not give up and hurried on. Finally, he came to a meadow full of blue roses with red thorns. He picked one and set off back.
On the way home, all adversity disappeared—the mountains were sunny, the desert had vanished, and the rains had stopped. When he arrived at the castle, he knelt before the princess and handed her the flower.
“You are brave, Prince. You have overcome frost, heat, and storms. I believe you will be a good husband – you deserve my hand,” said the princess. Soon there was a wedding, and the king was happy that his daughter had found love. And if they haven’t died, they live happily ever after.
