Long, long ago, there lived a princess who had made a beautiful garden in the palace. In the middle of the flower beds was a very tall tree. Its branches seemed to go right up into the clouds, and it always had one pink blossom at the top.
A young gardener was in love with her but he dared not tell her of his love. He worked silently in her garden and she barely noticed him.
One day, the king thought that his daughter was old enough to marry, so he invited two princes. One was fat and tubby while the other was thin and pale. The princess said that she would marry whoever was able to climb up the tree and bring the pink blossom for her.
The tubby prince decided to try first. He heaved himself up the tree and was breathless and panting; his face was red by the time he reached the top. There he saw a large fierce-looking golden eagle perched near the blossom.
He was so terrified that he nearly fell off the tree clambering down at top speed. He ran out of the garden and vanished from the kingdom.
The thin prince then climbed up using a rope to reach the top. There the eagle confronted him, asking, “Why have you come?”
“To fetch the blossom,” replied the prince.
“Why do you want the blossom?” it asked.
“I’ll marry the princess and be king!” said the prince, giving himself airs.
That was the wrong answer and the eagle was so annoyed that it chased the prince right out of the palace and the kingdom.
The gardener had been watching all the time quietly standing by. He knew that the princess wanted the blossom. So, he climbed up the tree and when the eagle asked him he said, “I’m only the gardener, sir. But I love the princess and would like to see her happy. She wants this blossom, so I wish to take the blossom for her.”
The eagle was so happy with his reply that it let him take the blossom and invited him to sit on its back. It flew down to where the princess stood watching.
The princess saw the gardener with the pink blossom and knew that she loved him very much. So, she married him and later they were the King and the Queen of the land. But they always loved their garden the most!
