Once upon a time, there lived a princess who was extra-ordinarily beautiful. She spent all the time admiring herself in the mirror or inviting people to pay her compliments.
Many princes came to win her hand in marriage. But she did not think any of them were good enough for her. So, she rejected all of them.
One day, the King of a distant land came there with a large troop of soldiers. He was young and handsome and rich. The princess agreed to marry him.
He took her to his home after they were married. She was horrified. It was a hut deep in the forest and her husband was a woodcutter! The men who came with him were his friends and came there every evening. They shouted and sang songs and created a ruckus in the house! She had to make huge quantities of food for all of them, clean the house and wash everything. She screamed and shouted, but to no avail.
Every morning, when her husband went off, the princess wept. But there was no way to escape from the forest.
‘Perhaps if I am nice to the woodcutter, he will take me back to the city,’ thought the princess one day, ‘At least we’ll be rid of all his horrible friends and lead a better life!’ The princess decided that she would stop complaining or crying and start being polite, helpful and good to the woodcutter.
That evening, the woodcutter found his wife smiling and cheerfully taking care of him and his friends. They too stopped making as much noise as they usually did. She took out her harp and played it for them. One of the men pulled out a flute while the woodcutter began to sing. The princess began to enjoy life in the forest and became very content. One day, the woodcutter came early and said, “I have a surprise for you, my dear. Please shut your eyes and say what comes first to your mind.”
The princess shut her eyes and said, “I love you, my dear husband!” She opened her eyes and looked around in amazement. The hut and the forest had vanished! In its place was a palace and her husband stood before her in magnificent clothes and wearing a crown!
“Your beauty was trapped inside your pretty face!” said the King, “Now you know why I enchanted everything so that you may become truly beautiful!” The princess looked down to see herself transformed into the Queen and the King’s friends bowed to them as they walked into the palace.
