Once upon a time, or it may have been twice upon a time. No one knows for sure. It was so very long ago. There lived a king and a queen in a small kingdom. Their subjects loved the king and the queen for they were wise and gentle rulers and every day was a happy one.
There was only one thing missing from their tiny kingdom; an heir to the throne. Every day the people would pray. The royal couple would wish and wish as hard as they could but alas year after year the king and the queen remained childless.
One day Queen Sofia was walking in her garden admiring the flowers when she came upon a beggar woman.
She thought it strange to see the old woman in her private garden and immediately perceived her to be a fairy in disguise. Being a shrewd woman she greeted the elder prettily and invited her to rest one a pretty golden bench that had been built especially for the queen.
The old lady thanked her and rested and they talked and the queen remained standing for the little bench was only big enough for one person but the queen didn't mind.
They talked for a long time about anything and everything and after a while the queen began to tell the old woman about her desire to have a child that would rule as gently and as wisely as the king and the queen did.
After a few hours a servant distracted the queen and when she turned back to the golden bench the old lady had disappeared. The queen immediately told her husband what had happened.
A year later the queen was walking through her private park when she saw a lovely gentle woman down a path. The little park was usually empty so the queen perceived the other woman to be the fairy she met the year previous. "My dear queen; I have been watching you and your husband and I have determined that you are good, just and fair. I have within my power to grant you a wish. Choose wisely."
With that said the fairy vanished and the queen immediately returned home to tell the king.
"Well my dear..." the king began after much thought at the wonderful story his wife had told him. "I think it obvious what we should ask for."
"You want to wish for a child." She stated smiling gently at her husband.
"Well...yes."
"Very well," said the fairy suddenly appearing before them. "Your wish is granted."
Ten months later the kingdom rejoiced to hear that their kind and gentle queen had given birth to a most beautiful child. Fairies far and wide came to her christening and to bless the child.
One gifted her with beauty, another with wisdom, still another with cleverness; and yet another with gentleness. Finally the last fairy came with her gift. She looked at the child for a long time and no one said a word.
Finally she looked up and all saw that her face was troubled. "Majesties, my gift to the child is thus; she shall only have to live out the curse on her life seven years."
Everyone gathered gasped. A curse?! In their kingdom?!
"What is the nature of the curse?" Asked the queen calmly; she wasn't calm –in fact inwardly she was panicking. She had come to love the little one with all her heart and didn't want anything to happen to her child.
"A wish fulfilled is two fold and full of both sorrow and joy. The fate of the babe lies entwined with that of the great forest on the edge of the Eastern Kingdom. When she has completed her 8th summer she will she will be cursed to live as a cat until the end of 7 years or until she has done enough good deeds." The fairy said respectfully bowing to their majesties.
