Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom called Euthanasia, there lived a beautiful peasant girl named Sadsorrowe. The village folk of Euthanasia adored her and would often visit her in her home deep in the woods. Even though, she lived in a tiny wooden hut, she decorated it with sweet-smelling wildflowers that she would gather every morning. Though her home is deep in the heart of the woods, village folk would visit her every single day lavishing her with pastries and cakes they had baked. Sadsorrowe had vast knowledge of the herbs that grew in the woods and of its healing properties, and this had earned her the title of 'medicine women' amongst the villagers. Rumour has it that Sadsorrowe could communicate with the spirits that dwell in the woods.
Sadsorrowe's beauty surpassed every single girl's in the entire kingdom, with long wavy raven coloured hair and porcelain white skin which seem to glow with shimmery radiance. Sadsorrowe was said to resemble a water nymph. Her lips were ruby red and her cheeks flushed pink when she laughed over jokes the village folk told. She was also bestowed with a good heart and a caring personality. Everyone loved Sadsorrowe, even the grouchy old spinsters who seem to hate everyone in the village.
Now, news had travelled to the Prince's ear that there was a beautiful peasant girl by the name of Sadsorrowe, whose beauty surpassed all the maidens in his kingdom. Her name, Sadsorrowe haunted him like a siren's song every single day and night. Sadsorrowe…Sadsorrowe…That was all the Prince could hear. Longing to meet her, the Prince organised a hunting expedition that would enable him to travel to the woods without arousing the suspicion from his mother, the Queen. The Queen was very protective over the Prince because he was her only son and heir to the throne. The Queen would be outraged if she found out that the Prince were to mingle with peasants.
The Prince and his hunting expedition journeyed off to the woods with the Queen unaware of her son's real purpose. For seven days and seven nights, the Prince crossed treacherous terrains and obstacles. His curiosity made him more determined than ever before to meet this mysterious girl, Sadsorrowe. On the eighth day, they were finally in the woods. Tired from the long, hard journey, they began to set up camp. The Prince was however restless and armed with his favourite bow and arrows, he told his personal manservant to follow him further into the woods.
After riding for most of the afternoon, he could not find a single game to catch. Finally, just when the Prince was about to head back to camp a big and beautiful gazelle came into sight. Stealthily, the Prince positioned his bow and arrow in the gazelle's direction and released the arrow. The poor animal yelped in shock! For it did not know what had hit it. It stood motionless for a minute and dropped down with a hideous thud amidst the eerie silence that suddenly filled the woods.
Then out of nowhere, a girl with raven coloured hair and skin as pale as moonlight rode out from nowhere on a gallant white horse. She dismounted the horse in one swift motion and knelt down beside the fallen gazelle. She lay the gazelle's head on her lap and with an equally swift motion she pulled out the arrow from the gazelle's neck. Blood was everywhere, yet she was not at least frightened or disgusted by it as most maidens would. The girl amazed the Prince when a sudden realisation hit him. The girl who was before him was Sadsorrowe. Only Sadsorrowe could possess such beauty and grace.
As Sadsorrowe held the gazelle, her teardrops fell from her cheeks like dewdrops would fall from the petals of white roses early in the morning. And as her teardrops fell on the gazelle's limp body, the gazelle opened its eyes and spoke in a sad a melancholy voice, "O, poor, poor Sadsorrowe, one as beautiful and carefree as your should not have such a sad, sad name. For it has been foretold that the angels long impatiently for your return up in the Heavens and Earth shall mourn your passing. Poor, poor Sadsorrowe, please do not grieve for me. For all things, which have passed, will be reunited again. Poor, poor Sadsorrowe now I must bid you goodbye."
With that the gazelle died. Startled by the whole incident, the Prince dismounted his stallion and went to Sadsorrowe's aid. "I forgive you," said Sadsorrowe. It was as though Sadsorrowe could read the Prince's heart and what he had to say. He was stricken with grief and regret for causing the death of the gazelle. To him the gazelle was game but to Sadsorrowe, he could see that the gazelle was like a trusted friend.
"I have seen you in my dreams," said Sadsorrowe in a soft voice. The Prince was so enchanted by her beauty that he could not move nor speak. "In my dreams you did exactly what you did to the gazelle," Sadsorrowe gesturing to the carcass. "And you killed me in the end…are you going to kill me now, my fair prince?" There was a hint of fear in her voice but she said it with such courage that the Prince could do nothing but to embrace her. Back in the corner of his mind he wondered how did Sadsorrowe knew that he was a prince. But he pushed that thought aside for this was not the time to ask questions. The Prince and Sadsorrowe mounted her white horse and disappeared into the woods, leaving the Prince's manservant behind dumbfounded and confused.
From that day forth, they loved together as man and wife, isolating themselves from the imperial family. Sadsorrowe had fallen in love with the handsome, young Prince and he too had fallen head-over-heels in love with her. No one in the entire kingdom knew their whereabouts, not even the King and Queen.
As the years passed, the Prince knew all of Sadsorrowe's secrets and she was not as mysterious as she was the first day he saw her with the gazelle. He knew that the knowledge she had about the herbs and her ability to communicate the spirits was an extraordinary trait passed down to her by her mother who had inherited it from her grandmother and so forth. Deep in his heart, he felt that the secret of the woods would never be able to take the place of the luxuries back in the Imperial Palace. The Prince grew restless and he began to tire of Sadsorrowe. Her beauty no longer enchanted him and her personality that he had thought was unique now reminded him of a commoner's. He now began to question his feelings for her and what he had sacrificed in order to be with her.
Then one night, while Sadsorrowe was asleep, the Prince took off never to return to the home they had built in the woods. When Sadsorrowe awakened the very next morning, she searched high and low for her beloved Prince but to no avail. The Prince was nowhere to be found. Poor Sadsorrowe so strickened by grief that her raven coloured hair turned white as snow. Sadsorrowe then returned to her tiny wooden hut, her secluded home which she had built with the Prince had too much memories in it. Sadsorrowe became hostile and threw stones at the village folk that came to visit her.
Months passed, news of marriage between the Prince of Euthanasia and the Princess of a neighbouring kingdom trumpeted throughout Euthanasia. Soon the news reached Sadsorrowe in the woods. She was so heartbroken and anguished that she dug a deep, deep hole into the ground a let out a loud shattering scream that shook the Earth. As pained as she was she set out to attend her long lost love's wedding. Her journey took seven days and seven nights, crossing treacherous terrains and obstacles. She did not have any sandals or travelling clothes to protect her on her long journey. So by the time she reached the City of Euthanasia on the eighth day her bare soled were so full of big bloody blisters that she had to crawl. Her pale skin was so scratched by thorns and rocks that it was covered with dried blood. Everyone in the city was disgusted by her appearance. No one could ever though that she used to be the most beautiful girl in Euthanasia.
Sadsorrowe heard from the chattering of the city folk that the wedding procession was going to be held the following day, passing through the streets of the city. Without shelter for the night, Sadsorrowe had to sleep on the cobblestone pathways and people who passed by cringed at the very sight of her.
The very next morning, the hot scorching sun and the chattering of hundreds of people awakened Sadsorrowe. She realised that the procession had just begun and she began to crawl towards the street. Magnificent parade horses strutted along the streets, jugglers, stilt-walkers and fire-eaters followed suit. Soon horns blared announcing the arrival of the Imperial family. Sadsorrowe summoning all her strength to stand up and walk to the middle of the streets just when the open carriage that carried the King, the Queen, the Prince and the Princess came by.
"Stop!" Sadsorrowe cried. As if by magic, the music the people and the horses stopped on their tracks. The Prince's eyes were wide with shock and terror to see Sadsorrwe appear before him. The Princess looked at her husband-to-be's bewildered expression while there was a murmur in the crowds. " I had given you my word that I would never love another. And you vowed to do the same. Now, you have turned your back against your word. A thousand promises you made but it turned out to be a thousand lies," Sadsorrowe drew out an arrow from her pocket, and the Prince recognise hat it was the very same arrow he had used to kill the gazelle out in the woods.
"With this single arrow you killed the gazelle. Now, it will kill me as well," with that Sadsorrowe plunged the arrow into her heart. "Sadsorrowe!" cried the Prince, rushing to aid Sadsorrowe. The crowd was astonished that the beggar-like girl was actually Sadsorrowe, the most beautiful girl in the kingdom. The Prince cried long and hard, cradling Sadsorrowe's limp body in his arms. As his teardrops fell on Sadsorrowe's cheek, she opened her eyes and said in a haunting voice, "O, poor, poor Prince, one as handsome and powerful as you should not have longed for a peasant girl. For it has been foretold that the angels have sentenced you to eternal damnation. Poor, poor Prince please do not grieve for me, it is you I should grieve for. You and I will never be reunited again. Alas, I forgive you for what you have done. Poor, poor Prince now I must bid you goodbye."
That very day Sadsorrowe died. Like the gazelle prophesised, Euthanasia mourned for her passing. The Princess called off the wedding and her father declared war against Euthanasia as a result of the ridicule of his daughter. As for the Prince, he was said to have lost his mind and was last seen wandering in the woods after his palace was burnt down during the war. Some village folk claim that they can still hear the Prince calling for Sadsorrowe and begging for her forgiveness every anniversary of her death...
Sadsorrowe's beauty surpassed every single girl's in the entire kingdom, with long wavy raven coloured hair and porcelain white skin which seem to glow with shimmery radiance. Sadsorrowe was said to resemble a water nymph. Her lips were ruby red and her cheeks flushed pink when she laughed over jokes the village folk told. She was also bestowed with a good heart and a caring personality. Everyone loved Sadsorrowe, even the grouchy old spinsters who seem to hate everyone in the village.
Now, news had travelled to the Prince's ear that there was a beautiful peasant girl by the name of Sadsorrowe, whose beauty surpassed all the maidens in his kingdom. Her name, Sadsorrowe haunted him like a siren's song every single day and night. Sadsorrowe…Sadsorrowe…That was all the Prince could hear. Longing to meet her, the Prince organised a hunting expedition that would enable him to travel to the woods without arousing the suspicion from his mother, the Queen. The Queen was very protective over the Prince because he was her only son and heir to the throne. The Queen would be outraged if she found out that the Prince were to mingle with peasants.
The Prince and his hunting expedition journeyed off to the woods with the Queen unaware of her son's real purpose. For seven days and seven nights, the Prince crossed treacherous terrains and obstacles. His curiosity made him more determined than ever before to meet this mysterious girl, Sadsorrowe. On the eighth day, they were finally in the woods. Tired from the long, hard journey, they began to set up camp. The Prince was however restless and armed with his favourite bow and arrows, he told his personal manservant to follow him further into the woods.
After riding for most of the afternoon, he could not find a single game to catch. Finally, just when the Prince was about to head back to camp a big and beautiful gazelle came into sight. Stealthily, the Prince positioned his bow and arrow in the gazelle's direction and released the arrow. The poor animal yelped in shock! For it did not know what had hit it. It stood motionless for a minute and dropped down with a hideous thud amidst the eerie silence that suddenly filled the woods.
Then out of nowhere, a girl with raven coloured hair and skin as pale as moonlight rode out from nowhere on a gallant white horse. She dismounted the horse in one swift motion and knelt down beside the fallen gazelle. She lay the gazelle's head on her lap and with an equally swift motion she pulled out the arrow from the gazelle's neck. Blood was everywhere, yet she was not at least frightened or disgusted by it as most maidens would. The girl amazed the Prince when a sudden realisation hit him. The girl who was before him was Sadsorrowe. Only Sadsorrowe could possess such beauty and grace.
As Sadsorrowe held the gazelle, her teardrops fell from her cheeks like dewdrops would fall from the petals of white roses early in the morning. And as her teardrops fell on the gazelle's limp body, the gazelle opened its eyes and spoke in a sad a melancholy voice, "O, poor, poor Sadsorrowe, one as beautiful and carefree as your should not have such a sad, sad name. For it has been foretold that the angels long impatiently for your return up in the Heavens and Earth shall mourn your passing. Poor, poor Sadsorrowe, please do not grieve for me. For all things, which have passed, will be reunited again. Poor, poor Sadsorrowe now I must bid you goodbye."
With that the gazelle died. Startled by the whole incident, the Prince dismounted his stallion and went to Sadsorrowe's aid. "I forgive you," said Sadsorrowe. It was as though Sadsorrowe could read the Prince's heart and what he had to say. He was stricken with grief and regret for causing the death of the gazelle. To him the gazelle was game but to Sadsorrowe, he could see that the gazelle was like a trusted friend.
"I have seen you in my dreams," said Sadsorrowe in a soft voice. The Prince was so enchanted by her beauty that he could not move nor speak. "In my dreams you did exactly what you did to the gazelle," Sadsorrowe gesturing to the carcass. "And you killed me in the end…are you going to kill me now, my fair prince?" There was a hint of fear in her voice but she said it with such courage that the Prince could do nothing but to embrace her. Back in the corner of his mind he wondered how did Sadsorrowe knew that he was a prince. But he pushed that thought aside for this was not the time to ask questions. The Prince and Sadsorrowe mounted her white horse and disappeared into the woods, leaving the Prince's manservant behind dumbfounded and confused.
From that day forth, they loved together as man and wife, isolating themselves from the imperial family. Sadsorrowe had fallen in love with the handsome, young Prince and he too had fallen head-over-heels in love with her. No one in the entire kingdom knew their whereabouts, not even the King and Queen.
As the years passed, the Prince knew all of Sadsorrowe's secrets and she was not as mysterious as she was the first day he saw her with the gazelle. He knew that the knowledge she had about the herbs and her ability to communicate the spirits was an extraordinary trait passed down to her by her mother who had inherited it from her grandmother and so forth. Deep in his heart, he felt that the secret of the woods would never be able to take the place of the luxuries back in the Imperial Palace. The Prince grew restless and he began to tire of Sadsorrowe. Her beauty no longer enchanted him and her personality that he had thought was unique now reminded him of a commoner's. He now began to question his feelings for her and what he had sacrificed in order to be with her.
Then one night, while Sadsorrowe was asleep, the Prince took off never to return to the home they had built in the woods. When Sadsorrowe awakened the very next morning, she searched high and low for her beloved Prince but to no avail. The Prince was nowhere to be found. Poor Sadsorrowe so strickened by grief that her raven coloured hair turned white as snow. Sadsorrowe then returned to her tiny wooden hut, her secluded home which she had built with the Prince had too much memories in it. Sadsorrowe became hostile and threw stones at the village folk that came to visit her.
Months passed, news of marriage between the Prince of Euthanasia and the Princess of a neighbouring kingdom trumpeted throughout Euthanasia. Soon the news reached Sadsorrowe in the woods. She was so heartbroken and anguished that she dug a deep, deep hole into the ground a let out a loud shattering scream that shook the Earth. As pained as she was she set out to attend her long lost love's wedding. Her journey took seven days and seven nights, crossing treacherous terrains and obstacles. She did not have any sandals or travelling clothes to protect her on her long journey. So by the time she reached the City of Euthanasia on the eighth day her bare soled were so full of big bloody blisters that she had to crawl. Her pale skin was so scratched by thorns and rocks that it was covered with dried blood. Everyone in the city was disgusted by her appearance. No one could ever though that she used to be the most beautiful girl in Euthanasia.
Sadsorrowe heard from the chattering of the city folk that the wedding procession was going to be held the following day, passing through the streets of the city. Without shelter for the night, Sadsorrowe had to sleep on the cobblestone pathways and people who passed by cringed at the very sight of her.
The very next morning, the hot scorching sun and the chattering of hundreds of people awakened Sadsorrowe. She realised that the procession had just begun and she began to crawl towards the street. Magnificent parade horses strutted along the streets, jugglers, stilt-walkers and fire-eaters followed suit. Soon horns blared announcing the arrival of the Imperial family. Sadsorrowe summoning all her strength to stand up and walk to the middle of the streets just when the open carriage that carried the King, the Queen, the Prince and the Princess came by.
"Stop!" Sadsorrowe cried. As if by magic, the music the people and the horses stopped on their tracks. The Prince's eyes were wide with shock and terror to see Sadsorrwe appear before him. The Princess looked at her husband-to-be's bewildered expression while there was a murmur in the crowds. " I had given you my word that I would never love another. And you vowed to do the same. Now, you have turned your back against your word. A thousand promises you made but it turned out to be a thousand lies," Sadsorrowe drew out an arrow from her pocket, and the Prince recognise hat it was the very same arrow he had used to kill the gazelle out in the woods.
"With this single arrow you killed the gazelle. Now, it will kill me as well," with that Sadsorrowe plunged the arrow into her heart. "Sadsorrowe!" cried the Prince, rushing to aid Sadsorrowe. The crowd was astonished that the beggar-like girl was actually Sadsorrowe, the most beautiful girl in the kingdom. The Prince cried long and hard, cradling Sadsorrowe's limp body in his arms. As his teardrops fell on Sadsorrowe's cheek, she opened her eyes and said in a haunting voice, "O, poor, poor Prince, one as handsome and powerful as you should not have longed for a peasant girl. For it has been foretold that the angels have sentenced you to eternal damnation. Poor, poor Prince please do not grieve for me, it is you I should grieve for. You and I will never be reunited again. Alas, I forgive you for what you have done. Poor, poor Prince now I must bid you goodbye."
That very day Sadsorrowe died. Like the gazelle prophesised, Euthanasia mourned for her passing. The Princess called off the wedding and her father declared war against Euthanasia as a result of the ridicule of his daughter. As for the Prince, he was said to have lost his mind and was last seen wandering in the woods after his palace was burnt down during the war. Some village folk claim that they can still hear the Prince calling for Sadsorrowe and begging for her forgiveness every anniversary of her death...