The Musician and the Prince
Once upon a time, there was a magnificent palace at the edge of an old forest where cool waters flowed. The young prince of this palace was very fond of playing his enchanting flute rather than of the affairs of the state. The melodies that poured from his breath were so moving that they stopped even the harsh wind and silenced the birds in the forest. But the sorrowful people of the palace watched with great worry that the king of the future was interested only in music. The prince, however, believed in his talent and whispered heartfelt tunes every evening under the bright stars. One day the news that the beautiful princess in a distant land had fallen into a merciless deep sleep reached the kingdom.
Unfortunately the most learned physicians of the country could find no cure at all for this mysterious illness. Taking his faithful flute with him, the prince set out at once to scatter this sorrow in the palace. After a hard journey that lasted for days, he arrived at the gloomy palace that had sunk into complete silence. When the old king of the palace saw this young musician before him, he spoke with a hopeless voice. “So many master physicians could not wake my daughter; will your thin flute give her healing?” he asked. The prince smiled with confidence and answered, “A tune played with true love breaks even the deepest sleep.”
Then he went slowly into the room of the princess and rested his flute on his silver lips. The prince began to play an enchanting and warm melody that came from the deepest corners of his soul. This sweet and healing sound wrapped the cold room and slowly scattered the dark shadows. The princess, who opened her eyes with the unique power of the melody, smiled with joy when she saw the talented young man before her. When the king saw that his only daughter was saved, he at once pressed the young prince to his breast with tears of joy. A short while later the two young people married with a magnificent wedding and brought great peace to the kingdom. Art that is performed with sincerity succeeds in passing even the most impassable obstacles with love. A craft is a golden bracelet.