Week 11 Story: The Evil Witch

 

Sun Prince and a Water Sprite (Source)

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom where joy and happiness reigned. Patthara (Jewels) was ruled by King Brahmanda (Universe) and Queen Ganga (Galaxy). They were loved by all. The couple had three children. The eldest was named Stars, who was born on a night when the sky was starry with many shooting stars. Prince Moon was the middle child of the siblings and was born on a night when the moon was shining brightly. This one lit up the whole kingdom like the sun. And then came the birth of Prince Sun, the youngest of the family. He was named as such because he was born in the middle of the day when the sun was shining brightly.

All loved the royal family: the inhabitants, the neighboring kingdoms, and even the supernatural beings that made up the country.

However, this happiness did not please the wicked witch who wanted the family’s reign to end. She hated to see people happy and wanted them to feel sadness and pain. This witch was called Burga, which means evil. She loved evil and fed on the despair of people to become stronger and more powerful. Because of the happiness that reigned over the kingdom of Patthara, she became weaker and weaker. In order to regain her former power, she devised a plan to make the Princes disappear so that the King, the Queen, and the people would be sad and helpless. With the help of her black raven, she decided to attack the princes when the three of them would go to their weekly hunting session.

That famous day arrived, and Durga soon put her evil plan into action. As the three princes were being chased, they heard an old man shouting for help near the forbidden river. The two elder princes knew not to approach the forbidden river because it was dangerous. If anyone fell into the river, no one could save him. However, the naivety of Prince Sun prevented him from thinking straight. He went as fast as he could to help the old man. The two others had not had time to warn him that he should not go there. While Sun tried to help the old man out of the river by handing him a large, sturdy branch, the wicked witch came quietly behind the young Prince to push him into the river.

“Watch out, young prince! Look behind you! “An unfamiliar voice said with a soft voice.

The young prince turned around and saw the wicked witch.

“You cannot do that to the young prince!” Another light voice said.

“Yes, you cannot do that!” Several voices nodded and repeated the sentence over again.

Several small creatures emerged from the river and attacked the witch. These creatures were water-sprites. They attacked and pushed the witch until she fell into the river.

The other two princes arrived just in time for the witch to fall and the old man to turn into a crow.

Sun was shocked and didn't know what to say except to thank them. 

“Do not worry, young prince; the pleasure was all ours. “One of the many creatures said.

As Stars and Moon came to Sun, the water creatures disappeared into the river.

The Princes came back home, forgetting their hunting session, eager to report their day to their parents.

As I said earlier, the royal family was loved by all, even tiny creatures. They would do anything for them because they were good people.

No one heard anything more about the wicked witch. She and all her negative feelings disappeared.

Author's note: I rewrote "The Princes and the Water-Sprite" in order to fit the codes of a fairy tale/children story. I based my story on the countless fairy tale tropes such as the evil witch and how everyone loves the royal family. 

Bibliography: The Jataka Tales of India by Ellen C. Babbitt