The Sparrow Prince

Once upon a time, in a beautiful castle, there lived a prince named Alexander. He was the kindest, most handsome person in the world. Many people in and outside of his country, Chiera, wished to marry him. Everyone thought that he was perfect, but no one is perfect. He had been cursed by a witch since his childhood, which no one have known about. From the night when the moon was full until the end on sunrise, he turned into a tiny sparrow, whom at night, hunters were forced to hunt down. His only way to be uncursed was a tea from a flower, which only grew once in five hundred years, the Ruckia. For years, he searched for the flower, but without any result.

On a windy night, when the moon was in its final phase, Alexander sneaked out to the forest, to continue his searching, but soon after, he came face to face with a hunter. He flew for his life until he found himself in a dead end made by rocks. An arrow was launched from the hunter’s bow. The prince closed his eyes to calm himself down before it hit him, but it never did.

The sparrow opened his eyes, and before him, he found a girl holding the arrow in her hand. She had long, brown hair, shiny, blue eyes, which were like the ocean. The prince looked up at her hair, and he chirped once in surprise: in her hair, there was a yellow flower, with pink dots: the Ruckia.

“Don’t you dare hurt this sparrow! Now, go home!” and surprisingly, the hunter went back to where he had come from.

“Hello, sparrow! What are you doing in the forest in the middle of the night? There are many hungry animals who would like to eat you. Go home!” and she started to leave, but Alexander started to chirp and flew on her shoulder.

“Haha, do you want to go home with me?” and the sparrow chirped as a confirmation “It’s going to be a long walk.”

After some time, the prince fell asleep on the mysterious girl’s shoulder.

Alexander woke up, when their path crossed with a field that was turned to orange by some of the sun’s rays. When he realized what would happen next, he jumped down from his companion’s shoulder, and he started to chirp dramatically.

“What do you want to say? Do you want to stop our travelling?” but when the sparrow could have started to chirp even more dramatically, he turned back into his human form.

“Hello, my saviour! My name is Alexander, the crown prince of Chiera. What is your name?”

“My name is Liliac. I knew that you were no ordinary sparrow… let me guess… a witch cursed you, and you need the flower from my hair.”

“H-how did you know?” he asked.

“When you were a sparrow, on your neck there was my sister’s curse sign: a bow. Her curse’s cure is always a tea from a special flower, for example Likom or this one.”

“Your sister?! I’ve been searching for that flower for ages! Can you give it to me to finally break my curse? I can’t bare it anymore.”

“Yes…and no. This flower is a rare treausure. It is said that this flower will make you feel no pain until your death… but I can trade it to you for the Firelion’s Talisman.”

“I’ll do it. Where can I find it?”

“On that mountain’s peak.” then she pointed her finger toward the tallest one. “But before you go, I will give you an armor, which will keep you safe from getting burnt.” Then she pulled an armor out from her skirt’s pocket.

“How did it even fit in your pocket?”

“Witch things. Bring me the talisman after you have defeated him! My house is that little hut!”

“Understood, I will bring it to you.” Then he started to run toward the mountain.

When the prince made his first step on the mountain’s peak, he found himself near a big entrance made of gold, and two lion heads shone bright on it. He opened it, then he cautiously went inside the mountain. After not even a minute of walking, he glimpsed the Firelion. He was 10 times taller than him and his eyes and mane were made out of fire.

“Who disrupted me from my deep sleep? You, little human? You will pay for this!” Then he pulled up his paw and started to put it down on Alexander, but he dodged it. The lion wanted to squelch the prince multiple times with no success, until he proceeded to breathe fire. When the fire hit Alexander’s armor, it started to shine, then the Firelion immediately started to distance himself from the prince, then he said.

“You have my brother’s Frozenlion armor, do you work with the Kind Witch Liliac?”

“Yes, I do.’’

“My brother has hers, so she and you also have my respect. What do you need from me?”

“I need your talisman. This is the only way to break my curse, I need it to bring it to her.” The prince responded.

“Now it’s yours.” and the lion opened his mouth wide open, where to golden talisman shone. When Alexander got into his mouth, the lion closed its mouth.

“You gullible human! I don’t give my freedom up this easily.” Then he swallowed Alexander.

Alexander fell down into the lion’s throat, screaming. When he landed in the lion’s belly, it started to shine, until it showed an infinite-looking hall before him. He started to take step after step in the hall, until he noticed a rock on the wall, where the following thing was written: If you have an answer to this question, touch the button and say it. If it’s answered correctly, my talisman will be yours, else, this will be the last day you live: Sometimes I am your friend, but I can also be your enemy. I am young and old at the same time. I can be fast and slow. Who am I?

The prince had no idea what the answer could be, so he thought about it for 2 days, until he made his final answer.

“Time. If you enjoy time, it can be your friend and fast, but if you don’t, it can be your enemy and slow. Time is young and old at the same time, because we have had it since our universe formed and young, because it will never end.”

Then, a door opened in the wall, and also a stone plate came out from it with the talisman in it. He took it and stepped into the mysterious place. After a long walk, he noticed a hole, which shone brightly. He ran towards it, and he got out from the lion’s body through its paws.

“How have you done that? No one could answer my question before you. You have my respect, for real this time. You can go.” Alexander left the home of the lion proudly.

When Alexander arrived to the hut, he knocked 3 times, then the door opened.

“Did you bring it?” asked Liliac curiously, with her eyes searching for the talisman.

“Here it is,” then he gave it to her.

“Thank you! The way I have promised: here is the flower…in tea form. I knew you would be exhausted, so I added a little extra to my promise.” Then she handed him a cup of yellow tea.

“Thank you so much! As a sign of my grasparrowude, you are welcome in Chiera’s castle any time.”

“I appreciate it. I think you should go back now to the castle, fate be with you!” then she disappeared into thin air.

From that day on, the prince never saw the witch and lived a happier and more peaceful life, curse-free.

Somogyi Virág Hajnal IX. R