Trolls-With-Hearts-of-Stone (for A.S.)
By Hasan A. Hujairi
July 11th, 2006
There once was this king who wanted to be forever young.
So, he made a deal with the Trolls-with-hearts-of-stone who lived in the forest around his land.
They granted him eternal youth on one condition.
This condition is that every autumn, he has to secretly choose the most BEAUTIFUL girl he finds in his land and gives her to the trolls so that they can EAT her!
He really wanted to be young forever, and was willing to pay any price for this.
One spring, the King walked out dressed in plain clothes so that no one would recognize him.
And he bumped into the most BEAUTIFUL girl in his land.
He spoke to her - as a commoner - and the two immediately fell in love.
But, when autumn came, the king - in a moment that combines carelessness and passion - gave the Trolls the name of the most beautiful girl (The girl he loved).
And so, the Trolls kidnap the girl in the dead of night..
And take her to their fortress that is made of stones as thick and unbreakable as their hearts.
And they were ready to make a feast of her.
But the King realized how much he loved this girl
And how he didn’t want to lose her, even at the price of eternal youth.
So, he rushed to the Trolls’ fortress and begged them NOT to eat　her.
He offered himself instead
All of this was witnessed by the God of the Forest whose heart ached for the problem the two lovers were facing.
The tears the God of the Forrest wept became the heaviest rain the Forrest had ever seen.
The Wise God of the Forrest knew that these Trolls had hearts of stone… and that it would be VERY difficult to make them change their mind.
And so, in a moment of desperation..
The God of the Forrest brought forth an army of one thousand nightingales, armed with a single weapon; the saddest love song in the world.
And sent this army of nightingales to the fortress of the Trolls-with-the-hearts-of-stone.
As the Nightingales sang their song, which was so sad and so touching, the hearts of the Trolls immediately crumbled.
And the Trolls decided to change their evil ways.
And let the two lovers be.
and so, the King married his love.
and they grew old together.
Until they became the two brightest stars we see in the night sky today.