The Thornprincess

The Path Of Virtue

With the sword Excalibur, the princess cut her way through the thorns because her love for her country was so great that she did not want to pay attention to the danger. But the points stabbed her again and again and tore bloody wounds. Then the girl found the skeleton of a poor knight who had perished in the thorns.

Then the princess thought, "With shield and armor, the thorns will not harm me."And so she took her shirt and armor, trousers and boots, and was never more the king's pride than at this moment. Bravely, the princess continued as she was told, making her way through sharp thorns and between tightly grown vines.

Then she heard a pitiful wail and found a white hare caught in the thorny undergrowth.

"Oh woe, I am stuck and cannot get free." The hare complained to her. "Dear princess, please free me!"

Then the princess took pity. 

"I want to help you." She said and reached for the thorns, even though they stung her, and removed each one until the hare was freed from its nasty bonds.

Then the hare turned into a noble knight with blond hair, who bowed his head before her and said: "I thank you, Princess. Your sacrifice has freed me from my curse, and I will henceforth be at your service."

The princess was happy to have found an ally, and they went on their way together.

Soon they reached a dense forest, but it, too, was full of thorns. Soon they passed a poor wolf trapped in the barren bushes.

"Please, dear princess," begged the wolf, "help me, and I will repay you and do you no harm."

"Leave him here. Otherwise, he will eat us!" spoke the Hare Knight, for he did not trust the wolf.

But the princess felt no fear and bent down. She dug at the earth with her bare hands until the beast was freed.

Then the wolf turned into a knight with black hair, who bowed his head to her and said: 

"I thank you, princess. Your courage has freed me from my curse, and I will be at your service from now on."

From then on, they were three on their way, walking for three days and three nights.

At noon on the 3rd day, they came to a river. There they heard a loud splash and found a fox clinging desperately to a branch.

"Please, dear princess," begged the fox, "help me, and I will repay you."

"He will only cheat us." Said the hare.

"Foxes are deceitful." Said the wolf.

But the princess took pity on the fox."Let's join hands and save him." She decided, and so it happened. Although the river tore at her, they pulled the fox ashore together.

Then the fox turned into a noble knight with red hair, bowed his head before the Princess of Thorns, and said: "I thank you, Princess. Your compassion has freed me from my curse, and I will be at your service from now on."

There were now four of them, and the princess had gathered loyal knights around her who stood by her side.

Together they crossed mountains and forests until they finally saw the dark castle of the 13th fairy.