Mr and Mrs Winters lived in a village near the mountains. They were happy looking after their little farm and goats, a donkey and some hens and rabbits. But they had no children.
“It would be nice if we had a child, wouldn’t it?” said Mr Winters, as they sat down for dinner one dark rainy night.
“Yes, dear,” agreed his wife, “There’s so much fun for a child on a farm!”
Suddenly, they heard someone knocking at the door.
“Who can it be at this time?” wondered Mrs Winters as her husband got up to open the door. She followed him, holding the lamp high to see who was there outside.
A tiny figure stood in the rain, looking wet, miserable and worried.
Mr Winters quickly opened the door and brought the person in. It was a little girl with water forming puddles all around her, soaked to the skin!
Mrs Winters rushed to get blankets and towels. Mr Winters drew her to the fire and she sat down on the rug. Soon Mrs Winters had dried her and wrapped her in a warm blanket. Then she brought a bowl of hot soup and began to feed her.
“Who are you, my dear?” asked Mr Winters. “And what are you doing all alone on a night like this?”
“I’m Belinda,” said the little girl.
“And your Mummy and Papa?” asked Mrs Winters. She pointed over the mountains. It was clear that she couldn’t explain properly where her home was.
There was nothing to be done, so they put her into a warm bed and watched her fall asleep. None in the village knew her either. So, she stayed with her new family. She enjoyed playing with the goats and the rabbits, feeding the hens and riding the donkey round the yard.
Mr and Mrs Winters were delighted.
One day, however, some riders came to the village looking for a little girl called Belinda. They came to Mr Winters’ farm.
Mrs Winters wept, heartbroken. They were going to take away little Belinda from them! Belinda ran forward and hugged one of the riders who was more richly dressed than the others.
“Papa!” she cried out. Holding his hand she said, “Good Mama and Good Papa here too!” pointing to Mr and Mrs Winters. She showed him the donkey, the goats, the hens and the rabbits, her cheeks glowing.
The horseman sat down at the table and said, “Sir, thank you for taking such good care of my Belinda. I am the King of the mountain country there. She drifted away and got lost. We have been looking for her for four days!” he said.
“I have a request to make,” he continued, “Will you come to my country, with all your animals, to stay on the palace farm so that Belinda may come to you every day too?”
Mrs Winters stopped crying and looked at her husband as if she couldn’t believe her ears! He too looked amazed and happy. And so the Winters went to the mountain kingdom and had a farm on which they watched Princess Belinda grow up into a lovely young lady!
