So fellow travelers, today we shall have a  little story in honor of Charles Perrault (he is Google Doodle subject of the day):

Once upon a time there was a beautiful Princess named Delilah. Her powers to charm were legendary. So much so, the evil King of Trolls feared she would unseat him from his throne. So he sent a band of wicked forest fairies to do away with her.

They hunted her down, chasing her deep into the dark forest of Ten-a-sei.  At what she thought would be her last moments of life, she gazed deep into the eyes of the most powerful of the evil fairies.  Compassion flooded into his heart and instead of ending her life, he cast a spell which turned her into a little black dog. It was said the Evil Fairy was so transformed by this encounter that he fled the dark forest, relinquished his dark powers and became a master gardener.

Dazed and confused she wandered the forest for several days, aided by the kindness of little woodland creatures. Frightened, but determined to survive, she found her way to the fields at the edge of a village. She sought shelter in a small woodshed, where she was found by a little girl who took her home, gave her a warm bath, good food and a soft bed to sleep in.

At first the Princess thought she might seek a way to reverse the spell cast on her. As time passed she realized how deeply this little girl and her family loved her and how much she had come to love them in return. They cared for her every need, fed her well, in fact they treated her like a princess. In winters she slept by the warm kitchen fire, in summers she laid under the shade of a big elm tree.  The little girl often took her for long walks, seeking the secret places of the wilds around them. Together they listened to the sacred music of songbirds, gathered magical stones from the river and collected beautiful wildflowers to plant in the garden back home. Life as a little black dog was good, Princess Delilah realized. She went on adventures, she had a good home and most of all she was loved.

What better happy ending could a Princess ask for?

Photo of Princess Delilah by Emma Mariko Rahalski 12/2015 

Walk gently on the path my friends and may adventure find you ready.