The Sleeping Princess

Once upon a time, a beautiful princess slept in a stone tower in a remote village in the cold and craggy mountains. The tower was on a cliffside and had only one window. The princess was in a deep sleep but could hear the sounds around her. She especially enjoyed hearing the birds sing lovely melodies daily and the waves crash upon the rocks.

Princess Amethyst was very beautiful, and her father and mother vowed to reward anyone who could wake their daughter because she was their only child, and they loved her very much. 

As could be imagined, many came to awaken the maiden. Men came from near and far to rouse her from her sleep. Each with his own intentions. Some wanted power, some wanted money, and some wanted to kiss a beautiful princess in the guise of a true love's kiss.

The men were short, tall, educated, foolish, peasants, paupers, royalty, and common. They all tried to reach her but somehow never made it into the tower. 

The king and queen were at their wit's end, filled with grief and hopelessness. One day a very handsome man, tall in stature, arrived at the castle. He said he wanted to attempt to save the maiden before it was too late.

They granted the young man permission, and he entered the stone tower. On his way up the winding staircase was a well-dressed man with a devilish smile who was sitting, blocking his path. 

"Good day, young fellow. Where are you headed?" The man said

Something wasn't quite right with this man. He felt it. He decided not to indulge in pleasantries and focus on his goal. "Isn't it obvious? I'm headed to the top of the tower," the young man responded, "so if you wouldn't mind," he gestured toward the staircase. 

The mysterious man moved, and the young man continued his forward trajectory. After walking about three stories, the man appeared again, blocking his way. He seemed determined to distract the young man.

"Would you like to play a game?," the mysterious man asked. For he was determined to distract the young man from his mission.

"No," the young man said and kept walking forward. The well-dressed man moved aside, and the young man walked another three stories.

He stopped when, once again, the well-dressed man blocked his path. "You're a very handsome fellow. I'm sure you'll have no trouble waking the princess. If you play a game with me, I'll give you something you value more than wealth," he said, tempting the young man with his most audacious claim yet. 

"Leave me alone and stay behind me," the young man said, and he continued up the path walking only one story this time until he came to a clearing with a door. 

He opened the door and entered the room, closing the door behind him. The sun shone onto the stone floor of the tower room where the princess slept in her canopy bed. 

The young man picked up a wooden chair beside the wall and placed it close to the princess' bed. He sat in the chair, reached inside his satchel, and grabbed a worn book.

He began reading the book from beginning to end so that after three days, he had read the entire book to the maiden. From sunrise to sunset, he sat reading until there were no words left in the book. 

Not long after he finished reading the book, the maiden began to stir as if awoken from a dream. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around. She didn't recognize her surroundings. It wasn't her room. She sat up, becoming aware of the handsome man sitting on a chair. 

"Hello, princess," he said confidently and genuinely smiled.

"Were you the one reading those stories to me?" she asked as she could hear him while she slept.

"Yes, I was," he confessed.

She sat thoughtfully before saying, "Thank you. Thank you for the gift you gave me. As you read to me, my heart burned to know more about the man you spoke of. When I confessed in my heart I wanted that man to be the Lord of my life, it's as if a weight had been lifted off of me. The burdens of life I no longer had to carry. I was in darkness, now I'm in the light," she said with so much joy, it was tangible.

"I feel alive," she said, "I feel like a new creature."

She looked at him, he was the most handsome man she had ever seen, but oddly, there was a stronger pull than his outward beauty. She thought for the first time how he never mentioned her appearance. Everyone else, her parents included, had always mentioned her beauty. 

“What is your name?” she asked him.

“My name is Peter, your highness.”

“Peter, I’m Amethyst. It’s very nice to meet you,”

“The honor is mine, Princess Amethyst.”

He moved to put the book away, and she asked, "May I see the book, please?" He nodded, reached out, and handed the worn book to her. She opened the book, and there were bumps all over the pages, but she saw no words. 

"What is this?" she asked as she curiously observed the book.

"It's called braille. It's a reading and writing system for people, like me, who are blind," he answered.

After looking at the book again, she returned it to him. "I would like to learn braille," she said.

"But why princess, you have the gift of sight," he reminded her. 

"But I would like to communicate with you. Maybe I would like to write you a note, or create a poem for you. If I learn braille I can write you a book," she simply said.

He smiled. "That's very thoughtful of you. We musn't tarry. Your parents will be excited to know that you're awake."

They both stood stretching their arms and legs from lack of mobility. He assisted her down the spiral staircase and into her parents' castle. Her mother leaped for joy when she saw the princess standing and walking towards her. A tear ran down her father's cheek as they both embraced her with outstretched arms.

During the next twelve days, the king and queen held a feast, celebrating their daughter being saved. The priest, the noble leaders and the entire kingdom celebrated the princess being saved.

At the king's request, the priest submerged the princess in water and brought her up, symbolizing the new life she had confessed in her heart, with her lips, and now as an outward acknowledgment to everyone. 

The young man had stayed during the twelve days and festivities. "Young man, you awoke my daughter but you say she was saved by the book you read her?" The king questioned.

"Yes, your majesty," he answered.

"I would like it if everyone could read that book and be saved," the jovial king said. "Now the matter of your reward. Who are your parents?"

"My mother and father live in a neighboring kingdom, about three days away."

"Young man, are you of royalty?"

"I am your majesty. I am Prince Peter of Cornerstone Kingdom," he said confidently.

This confirmed the king's suspicions. The young man had been confident and determined. He was a prince, so the king knew he would not want monetary wealth. He knew there had to be something the prince valued more than money for his reward.

The prince had never uttered a word of his desire for a wife, but the Lord knew the desires of his heart. The king was imbued with wisdom to see the desires of the prince's heart. In quiet moments, the king observed the interactions between his daughter and the man who stayed on the path in order to rescue her.

"Very well. In three days' time, after your parents have arrived, we will further discuss your reward," the king and queen took their leave, and the prince rejoined the festivities. 

While waiting for his parents to arrive, he came to know the people in the castle and forged a deeper relationship with the princess. The princess gave Prince Peter a tour of the castle grounds, including the lush garden and vast library. He taught her the alphabet in braille and a few basic words.

After three days, when his parents arrived, there was another feast to welcome his mother and father, king and queen of the Cornerstone Kingdom. The king had already talked with his daughter about her feelings about Prince Peter.

"Prince Peter, you so valiantly slayed any dragons in my daughter's life, you removed the scales from her eyes by reading the Word. You have shown yourself a fruitful man with patience, long-suffering, and kindness. It would be my honor, if you would take my daughter as your wife."

So Prince Peter wed Princess Amethyst. Each morning he awoke to a note in braille from his lovely wife. They read the Word together as often as possible, he continued to spread the Good News across the kingdoms, and they all lived happily ever after.