“The
Dandelion Princess” by Bethany C. Brooks
Once upon a time there was a lovely Princess named
Aster. Princes from all over asked for her hand in marriage, but her
answer was always the same. She gave every one of them a task, a quest of sorts.
Whoever could bring her a bouquet of dandelions with all the seed intact, could
marry her. Spring came and so did many princes from all over would try to carry
a dandelion bouquet to her, but all failed. A slight breeze would always foil
their quest. Some princes would try a second time, yet they still failed, while
others found ways to cheat but were banished for their tricks. Seasons changed
and winter arrived, and there were no more dandelion. The kingdom lay in
wait to discover if anyone would try again next spring, but when the world
turned green again everyone found that the word of this quest had only
multiplied over the calm of the previous winter. Years past and this
quest seemed quite impossible. Slowly the numbers of princes that attempted to
carry the dandelions dwindled until there were no more, save one. His name was
Patrick and he was known for his patience. He tried and tried. Every day he
would journey to her castle with a bouquet but never made it before a seed
drift away from the others. For years he was on the quest for Princess
Aster's hand. Some said that with each passing season his heart grew
stronger for her. What Prince Patrick did not know was that the princess heard
word of this prince and the years he spent carrying dandelions.
One spring when he was ever so close to reaching her castle
with a bouquet, he saw someone far up the road approaching his
direction. It was the princess coming to meet him. He knew it was her by the
crown on her head and the smile on her face. He was speechless, for she was
more beautiful than the stories told. There was something in her smile
that instantly made him realize that he loved her. It was her joy, and it was
contagious. Before he could stop himself he found himself laughing and she
joined in the revelry of the moment. When they were somewhat able to stifle
their giggles, and still neither having said a word, he handed her the bouquet
of puffs. She took them in one hand and his arm in the other. They walked
arm-in-arm until they reached the castle. She led him not inside, but through a
corridor. Before they reached the end of this hall, the prince noticed that it
looked as if it had snowed at the other side of this corridor, but to his
surprise, it was a garden full of dandelion puffs. When they had reached the
middle of this white garden, the princess looked at him and all at once began
to shake the bouquet around them. Up until this point the prince had no idea
why dandelions were the princess’s favorite flower. Now he understood, because
they were standing in a cloud of dandelion seeds. It was magical, and the joy
on the princess’s face told the prince everything he needed to know and most
importantly, that he wanted to be right here for the rest of his life. He bent
to one knee and spoke for the first time since they met along the road. He
said, “Will you marry me, my love?” At exactly this moment the princess’s joy
burst out of her, and she leaped into his arms and softly said through tears of
joy, “Gladly.”
And they lived very happy long lives, and their kingdoms, as
well as all the neighboring realms, lived in peace for one hundred years. Their
children passed down the legacy of the dandelion, and their children passed it
down until it became a legend. Like most legends it was tucked away and
forgotten. Today the dandelion is seen as a weed because it so easily spreads,
but the truth is that the love between Princess Aster and Prince Patrick
still resides in the dandelion puffs today and it can’t help but spread its
joy.
The
End
