4 min.

Kde bolo, tam bolo, v malom kráľovstve na okraji veľkého začarovaného lesa žili tri sestry: Mária, Ela a najmladšia Rozália. Ich otec bol bylinkár a liečiteľ, známy v celom kraji svojimi zázračnými liekmi. Matka im zomrela pri narodení najmladšej Rozálie, no zanechala im čarovné zrkadlo, ktoré vraj ukrývalo tajomstvo ich osudu.

Jedného dňa sa ich otec vybral hlboko do lesa hľadať vzácne byliny pre chorého kráľa. Keď sa nevrátil ani po troch dňoch, sestry sa začali báť. Pozreli sa do čarovného zrkadla svojej matky a uvideli v ňom svojho otca spiaceho v krištáľovej jaskyni, strážený troma tienistými postavami.

„Musíme ho zachrániť,“ povedala najstaršia Mária, ktorá bola známa svojou odvahou.
„Ale les je plný nebezpečenstiev,“ pripomenula Ela, múdra prostredná sestra.
„Spolu to dokážeme,“ zašepkala najmladšia Rozália, ktorá mala najcitlivejšie srdce.

Skôr než sa vydali na cestu, zaklopal niekto na dvere. Bola to stará žena, zhrbená a unavená. Prosila o strechu nad hlavou a trochu jedla. Hoci mali sestry málo zásob na vlastnú cestu, podelili sa s ňou o večeru a poskytli jej posteľ.

Ráno sa stará žena premenila na nádhernú vílu. „Za vašu dobrotu vám dám tri dary,“ povedala. Márii dala meč z mesačného svetla, ktorý dokázal preťať každú tmu. Ele darovala knihu múdrosti, v ktorej sa objavovali rady presne vtedy, keď ich potrebovala. Rozálii dala malú sklenenú guľôčku, ktorá vraj ukrývala najväčšiu silu zo všetkých.

Sestry sa vydali do lesa. Prvú prekážku stretli hneď na kraji – obrovský živý plot z tŕňov, ktorý sa pred nimi dvíhal do výšky. Mária vytasila svoj mesačný meč a presekla cestu, no za každým preťatým tŕňom vyrástli dva nové. Ela otvorila knihu múdrosti a prečítala: „Nie všetky prekážky treba prekonať silou.“ Rozália pochopila. Vybrala svoju guľôčku a jemne sa prihovorila tŕňom. Tie sa pred nimi samy rozostúpili, dojate jej láskavými slovami.

Hlbšie v lese narazili na skupinu detí, ktoré plakali pri jazere. Ich loďka uviazla v strede jazera a nemohli sa dostať na breh. Mária chcela preplávať za loďkou, ale voda bola príliš studená. Ela našla v knihe varovanie pred vodníkom, ktorý deti zámerne lákal do pasce. Rozália však nepočúvala varovania – videla len vystrašené deti. Hodila svoju guľôčku do vody a tá vytvorila svetelný most až k loďke. Deti sa bezpečne dostali na breh a na oplátku sestrám prezradili tajnú cestu cez les.

Čím hlbšie prenikali do lesa, tým temnejšie bolo. Stretli starého muža, ktorý tvrdil, že pozná cestu ku krištáľovej jaskyni. Mária mu nedôverovala a jej mesačný meč v jeho prítomnosti slabo pulzoval. Ela rýchlo nahliadla do knihy a zistila, že je to preoblečený zlý čarodejník, ktorý väzní ich otca. No skôr než stihli utiecť, čarodejník ich začal premieňať na kamenné sochy.

Mária bojovala s čarodejníkom svojím mečom, odrážajúc jeho kúzla, zatiaľ čo Ela horúčkovito listovala v knihe, hľadajúc spôsob, ako kliatbu prelomiť. Rozália, už napoly skamenená, si spomenula na slová víly o najväčšej sile. Zo všetkých síl stisla svoju guľôčku a tá explodovala v žiari čistej lásky. Čarodejníkove kúzla sa rozplynuli a on sám sa premenil na malého černokňažníka.

„Prepáčte,“ zašepkal zahanbene, „bol som uväznený v tej zlej podobe už stáročia, zakliaty dávno mŕtvym kráľom temného lesa. Vaša sesterská láska ma oslobodila.“ Z vďaky ich zaviedol ku krištáľovej jaskyni.

V jaskyni našli svojho otca, spiaceho v krištáľovej posteli. Tie tri tienisté postavy boli dávno mŕtve princezné, ktoré čakali na niekoho, kto preukáže skutočnú odvahu, múdrosť a lásku, aby mohli konečne nájsť pokoj. Rozália ich objala a ony sa s úsmevom rozplynuli.

Otec sa prebudil a všetci sa šťastne vrátili domov. Bývalý čarodejník sa stal ich priateľom a pomocníkom v bylinkárskej dielni. Kráľ sa uzdravil vďaka bylinám, ktoré otec našiel, a na počesť sestier vyhlásil sviatok odvahy, múdrosti a lásky, ktorý sa v kráľovstve oslavuje dodnes.

Čarovný les už viac nebol temným a strašidelným miestom. Deti sa v ňom hrávali, bylinkári tam zbierali liečivé rastliny a občas, keď ste mali šťastie, mohli ste zahliadnuť tri tienisté princezné, ako tancujú v mesačnom svetle.

A čarovné zrkadlo ich matky? To dodnes visí v dome troch sestier a ukazuje každému, kto doň pozrie, že najväčšie kúzlo zo všetkých je láska, ktorá spája rodinu.

A ak nezomreli, žijú tam šťastne až dodnes.

The Three Sisters and the Enchanted Forest

4 min.

Once upon a time, in a small kingdom at the edge of a great enchanted forest, lived three sisters: Maria, Ella, and the youngest, Rosalie. Their father was an herbalist and healer, known throughout the land for his miraculous remedies. Their mother had died giving birth to little Rosalie, but she left them a magic mirror that was said to hold the secret of their destiny.

One day, their father ventured deep into the forest to search for rare herbs to cure the sick king. When he hadn’t returned after three days, the sisters grew worried. They looked into their mother’s magic mirror and saw their father sleeping in a crystal cave, guarded by three shadowy figures.

„We must save him,“ said Maria, the eldest, known for her courage.
„But the forest is full of dangers,“ reminded Ella, the wise middle sister.
„Together we can do it,“ whispered Rosalie, who had the most sensitive heart.

Before they set out on their journey, someone knocked at their door. It was an old woman, bent and weary. She begged for shelter and a little food. Although the sisters had few provisions for their own journey, they shared their supper with her and gave her a bed.

In the morning, the old woman transformed into a beautiful fairy. „For your kindness, I shall give you three gifts,“ she said. To Maria, she gave a sword made of moonlight that could cut through any darkness. To Ella, she gave a book of wisdom that revealed advice exactly when needed. To Rosalie, she gave a small glass bead that supposedly held the greatest power of all.

The sisters set out into the forest. They encountered their first obstacle right at the edge – a huge living hedge of thorns that rose up before them. Maria drew her moon sword and cut a path, but for every thorn cut, two new ones grew. Ella opened her book of wisdom and read: „Not all obstacles must be overcome by force.“ Rosalie understood. She took out her bead and gently spoke to the thorns. They parted on their own, moved by her kind words.

Deeper in the forest, they came upon a group of children crying by a lake. Their boat was stranded in the middle of the lake, and they couldn’t reach the shore. Maria wanted to swim to the boat, but the water was too cold. Ella found a warning in her book about a water sprite who deliberately lured children into a trap. But Rosalie didn’t listen to warnings – she only saw frightened children. She threw her bead into the water, and it created a bridge of light to the boat. The children reached shore safely and, in return, revealed to the sisters a secret path through the forest.

The deeper they went into the forest, the darker it became. They met an old man who claimed to know the way to the crystal cave. Maria didn’t trust him, and her moon sword pulsed faintly in his presence. Ella quickly looked in her book and discovered he was an evil wizard in disguise, the one who held their father captive. But before they could flee, the wizard began turning them to stone.

Maria fought the wizard with her sword, deflecting his spells, while Ella frantically flipped through her book, searching for a way to break the curse. Rosalie, already half-turned to stone, remembered the fairy’s words about the greatest power. She squeezed her bead with all her might, and it exploded in a burst of pure love. The wizard’s spells dissolved, and he transformed into a small sorcerer.

„I’m sorry,“ he whispered shamefully, „I was trapped in that evil form for centuries, cursed by the long-dead king of the dark forest. Your sisterly love freed me.“ In gratitude, he led them to the crystal cave.

In the cave, they found their father sleeping in a crystal bed. The three shadowy figures were long-dead princesses who had waited for someone to show true courage, wisdom, and love so they could finally find peace. Rosalie hugged them, and they dissolved with a smile.

Their father awoke, and they all returned home happily. The former wizard became their friend and helper in the herb workshop. The king was cured by the herbs their father had found, and in honor of the sisters, he declared a festival of courage, wisdom, and love, which is celebrated in the kingdom to this day.

The enchanted forest was no longer a dark and frightening place. Children played there, herbalists gathered healing plants, and sometimes, if you were lucky, you might catch a glimpse of the three shadow princesses dancing in the moonlight.

And their mother’s magic mirror? It still hangs in the house of the three sisters, showing everyone who looks into it that the greatest magic of all is the love that binds a family together.

And if they haven’t died, they live there happily to this day.