Continued from yesterday.....
The princess stayed with the woodcutter and his family for a few more days. She never told them who she was because she didn’t think they would believe her. After all, she thought, who would believe that she was be the king’s own daughter when he had never come looking for her. They would just think she was making it up.
At last, the princess knew it was time to move on and try to find her father’s palace. She wasn’t sure she wanted to see him again. She was pretty sure he wouldn’t want to see her, and she was angry at the King for leaving her with the dragon, but she wanted to see her old home just the same.
The journey was long and hard. More times than she could tell, she slept out in the cold with only an apple or some nuts to keep her stomach from growling. Sometimes she would find a home with a family that would let her spend the night. Most people were nice and tried to help her. She, in turn, learned to show her gratitude by doing chores or taking care of their children. Slowly she began to remember how to be kind and tender, qualities she had forgotten while living with the dragon.
Meanwhile, the King continued the search for his daughter. At last, he heard a rumor that the dragon had been seen in a far away kingdom, alone. Immediately, the King sent the canary to that land to find out if the rumor was true. Everyone at the palace felt sure this meant that the princess was dead. When they tried to console the King, however, he rebuked the idea completely, and continued his search. In his heart he knew that his daughter was still alive.
Finally one evening just as the sun was going down, the princess came to the top of a hill and saw the King’s palace down in the valley below. It was beautiful, with the rays of the setting sun shining on it’s walls, and green trees in the park around it blooming with spring blossoms. The princess caught her breath as she saw her old home. How she longed to be inside those walls, sitting on her father’s lap, forgetting all the long years of pain and loneliness she had endured.
For just a second, she believed that if she was inside the palace, the past would disappear. Then the words she had heard in her mind over and over for so many years came back to her. "He doesn’t really love you. He didn’t even try to rescue you."
The princess’s eyes filled with tears. Was it true? Had her daddy forgotten her? Hesitantly she made her way down the hill towards the palace. No one was outside. Cautiously the princess crept up to a window and peeked in. She found herself looking into the long dining room. There were many princes and princesses sitting at the table, eating their dinner. She strained to see to the end of the table, and when a lady leaned forward she saw the King! How handsome he still was! He was talking to the princess next to him, and he was laughing.
Suddenly, all the hurt and anguish of those awful years rushed into the Princess’s heart. "He doesn’t love me!" she cried in despair. "Look at him. He doesn’t even remember me. He’s happy without me!" Sobs wrenched from deep down inside her soul, as she turned from the window and blindly rushed out into the garden and away from the palace. "My daddy doesn’t love me," she cried over and over again. "He doesn’t love me. He never came to get me. He doesn’t love me."
She didn’t stop running until she was far, far away. Finally, exhausted, she tripped over a root bumping up out of the ground, and fell in a heap under a big tree. Still sobbing, she curled up in a ball and cried herself to sleep. The sun, shining through green leaves, finally woke the princess the next morning. She turned over, stiff and sore, and sat up. It was a beautiful spring morning, but her heart was so heavy she couldn’t see the beauty around her.
"What am I going to do now?" she asked herself finally. "Where will I go?"
Cradling her head in her hands, she sat beneath the tree in despair. She was so forlorn and self absorbed that she didn’t hear a horse approaching down the road she sat next to. It was almost upon her before she looked up.
The horse was a beautiful white stallion, proud and strong, and on his back sat the King. He was never able to sleep long for worrying about his daughter, and often left the palace early in the morning to search for her. At once, the princess recognized her father, but he was galloping by so quickly she knew he would never know who she was. Not only had she grown into a young woman, she was also tattered and dirty. The king hardly had time to glance down at the shabby girl who sat by the side of the road before his horse galloped on. But then he pulled sharply on the reigns and stopped the horse abruptly. Turning in the saddle, he looked back at the forlorn figure. Suddenly, he was off the horse, running back up the road as fast as he could.
"My daughter, my daughter," he cried as he rushed to her and picked her up and held her tightly to his breast. "Oh, my daughter," he sobbed as he kissed her hair and bathed her in his tears.
The princess also cried, but at last she pulled herself free from her father’s embrace and looked at him with both anger and longing in her eyes. "Why didn’t you come for me?" she sobbed. "Oh daddy, why didn’t you come and get me?"
The King gently enfolded her in his strong arms again, and whispered into her hair. "Because I loved you, my dear."
She pulled away from him and demanded, "How can you say that? You left me there with that horrible dragon. You didn’t even know if I was alive or dead!"
"Yes I did," he told her gently. "I sent the canary to be with you whenever it could, and he told me what was happening to you. I wanted to come and get you, but if I had, the dragon would have killed you. I didn’t come because I loved you."
Then the king enfolded his daughter in his arms again, and held her close. "I have searched for you every day since I learned that you left the dragon’s castle. At last, I have found you. Come home with me, please."
continued until tomorrow.........
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