Well, imagine a brave young fellow, let's call him Tom, who loved exploring. One day, Tom wandered so deep into a forest, deeper than he’d ever gone before, that he got completely lost! As the sun began to set, he spotted a light. "Hooray!" he thought, and hurried towards it.

The light came from a grand, old castle. The door creaked open all by itself. Inside, everything was quiet, but a delicious smell filled the air. Tom followed his nose to a dining room where a table was piled high with yummy food – chicken, bread, and juicy fruits! "Well, if no one's here..." Tom mumbled, and started to eat. He was so hungry!

After dinner, he found a cozy bedroom, also empty. Just as he was about to fall asleep, the door opened, and in glided three princesses. But oh! They were dressed all in black, from their tiaras to their slippers, and their faces were very serious.

The first princess whispered, "For us to be free, you must stay in this castle for one whole year. During that year, you must not speak a single word to us, and you must not even peek at us."
The second princess added, "If you can do this, we will be saved."
And the third said, "But if you fail, we will be trapped even longer."

Tom, feeling brave (and a bit sleepy), nodded. "Easy peasy!" he thought.

So, Tom stayed. Every day, food appeared. Every night, the three black princesses glided in and out. Tom kept his promise. He didn't say "Hello." He didn't say "Goodnight." He didn't even try to sneak a look. Weeks turned into months. It was hard! Sometimes he really wanted to ask them their names, or why they were so sad.

Finally, only one night was left in the whole year! Tom was so proud of himself. That night, the princesses came in. Tom thought, "Just one more night! I've almost done it!" But then, a tiny, mischievous thought popped into his head. "They won't know if I just take one little look. It's almost over!"

So, he did. He opened one eye, just a crack, and peeked.
Oh dear! The moment he looked, the princesses let out a sad cry.
"You were so close!" said the first one, her voice trembling. "Now we cannot be freed here."
The second one held out a small, shiny ring. "Take this. Go to the Glass Mountain. If you can throw this ring over the mountain, we will be free."
The third one sighed. "But it is a very difficult task."
And then, poof! The princesses, the castle, everything vanished. Tom found himself back in the forest, with only the ring in his hand.

Tom felt terrible. He had let them down! But he was determined to make things right. He journeyed for many days until he reached the Glass Mountain. It was huge, slippery, and sparkled like a giant diamond. He tried to throw the ring, but it just wasn't high enough.

Just then, he saw a big lion, a wise eagle, and a tiny ant arguing nearby. They had found a treasure and couldn't decide how to share it. Tom, being a fair fellow, helped them divide it. Grateful, they asked how they could help him.
Tom explained about the princesses and the ring.
The lion said, "I am strong, but I cannot climb glass."
The eagle said, "I can fly high, but the mountain top is too sharp for me to land and throw the ring."
Then the little ant chirped, "I am small! I can carry the ring up the mountain, and the eagle can fly me close to the top!"

So, the eagle carefully picked up the ant, who was holding the ring tightly. Up, up, up they flew! The ant crawled the last little bit and, with all its might, pushed the ring over the peak of the Glass Mountain.

The moment the ring sailed over, a beautiful white castle appeared at the foot of the mountain! And out ran the three princesses, no longer in black, but in sparkling, colorful gowns, their faces bright with smiles.
"You did it!" they cheered.
Tom was overjoyed. The eldest princess stepped forward and took his hand. "You are brave and kind," she said. "Will you stay with us?"

And so, Tom did. He married the princess, and they all lived happily, with lots of laughter and no more sad, silent nights. And Tom learned that sometimes, the hardest promises are the most important ones to keep.

2047 Views