The Princess and the Ogre by Robert Betts

Once upon a time in a far off land there lived a beautiful Princess. She was so beautiful that birds gathered each morning at her window to sing to her. Each morning she would awake, go to the window and listen to them. But the lovely Princess couldn’t see the birds for she was blind. The king had called all his sorcerers and magicians but alas, no one could cure the Princess of her blindness.

One night an old and ugly ogre was walking by her window when he heard crying. He came closer and saw the Princess. She was tossing restlessly and sobbing.

He called out to her softly, “Princess, Princess, why are you crying?”

Sleepily she arose and came to the window. “I don’t know,” she sighed. “I just wake up crying every night.” The ogre touched her hand tenderly, then she smiled. “Thank you for being concerned,” she whispered.

After that the ogre came by every night to talk to the Princess and comfort her when she cried. He always tenderly kissed the Princess’s hand. She did not know how old and ugly he was, because of her blindness. After the ogre’s kiss, she would return to her bed and sleep soundly.

One night the King happened by and saw the ogre with the Princess. He was furious and screamed, “Get out, out of the kingdom or I’ll have you killed.”

“I’m going, I’m going,” replied the ogre sadly.

“Now,” screamed the King !

The ogre then went to live in a hut deep in the forest. Sadly he gathered bats and lizards for his supper for he missed the Princess terribly. But he knew he was an old ogre and shouldn’t be talking to a Princess. It just wasn’t proper.

One day the Princess had her eighteenth birthday. The king gathered all the men in the land. Even the ogre was allowed to attend this special event. Tradition had it that the Princess would choose the one whose kiss she favored. All the men in the land walked up to her, one at a time, to kiss her hand.

After all the men had tried, she shook her head sadly and said, “Father, none of these have the special touch.

Just then the ogre spoke up and said, “Hi Princess.”

The King sneered at him and said, “Be still, ogre.”

“Father, that one, let him come up and kiss my hand,” whispered the blind Princess.

“No!” said the King, “Not an ogre.”

“But isn’t it the law of the land that when the Princess is eighteen she may choose?” replied the Princess.

“Well… Yes,” grumbled the King.

When the ogre tenderly kissed her hand, she smiled. “This is the one.”

The Princess and the ogre were married, much to the King’s amazement and consternation and went to live in the forest alone. The birds again came to her window to sing and at night, the Princess never cried again.

~ * ~ * ~ The End ~ * ~ * ~