In a small village by the sea lived a girl named Annie. She lived with her mum and dad in a cozy little house. The yard was filled with beautiful flowers, which the girl tended to with her mum, and with her dad Annie often went fishing.
In the evenings the girl loved to snuggle under a warm blanket, mum would give her hot tea with warm pie and read her daughter fairy tales. Annie always eagerly awaited a new story, because magical things always happened in them.
One lovely evening mum told the girl a new fairy tale about a handsome prince who fell in love with a young maiden and took her to his magnificent palace.
When mum turned off the light in the room and wished her daughter good night, the girl settled in comfortably and began to dream that someday in her life she would meet a prince who would love her, they would live together in a grand magnificent palace, and he would always protect and shield her from all troubles.
Every day Annie imagined that in the palace courtyard would grow all kinds of flowers, and there would also be a huge garden with fruit trees. She, in a beautiful dress, would sit on a sunny warm day in the shade under a lush apple tree and read new interesting magical fairy tales. With the prince they would live happily ever after, and no one could separate them.
Time passed, and the little girl grew into a young, beautiful maiden. Her parents had died several years ago, and now she lived in her small house by the sea all alone. An elderly woman helped her with household chores, who since childhood had treated the girl like her own granddaughter, and Annie in return also helped the grandmother around the house, in the vegetable garden and in the orchard.
One evening, when the young beauty had already turned off the lights in the house, switched on her bedside lamp, under which back in childhood mum had read her fairy tales, and settled in comfortably, there was suddenly a knock at the door.
Who's there?
The girl asked in surprise.
Only silence in response. Annie approached the door and listened. Suddenly there was another knock, more insistent than before.
Well, who is it? Why won't you answer?
Curiosity overcame the girl, and she cautiously opened the door. On the threshold stood a beautiful white horse. Its long wavy golden mane cascaded almost to the floor, and golden horseshoes sparkled with bright light.
Where on earth did you come from?
Annie exclaimed.
Where is your owner? Why are you all alone at such a late hour?
The horse only shook its head anxiously, as if beckoning the girl into the forest.
What's wrong? Why are you so worried?
Then the horse reared up on its hind legs and neighed so loudly that the girl recoiled in fright.
You want me to come with you? That's why you knocked on my door? Just a moment, I'll just grab a sweater, wait for me, there's a good boy!
Annie immediately threw on a cardigan, put on her shoes and rushed after her evening visitor. Finding herself in a dense, dark forest where the horse had led her, the girl suddenly saw on the ground the bloodied body of a young man. Annie thought the lad was dead, leaned over him, and suddenly heard a heartbeat.
He's alive!
She cried out.
Someone, help!!!
But the forest was utterly silent, with no one around. Annie tried to hoist the young man onto the horse, but she didn't have enough strength.
And then the forest was illuminated with bright light, as if night had become day, and out of nowhere appeared a beautiful girl. She waved a magic wand, and Annie suddenly felt herself becoming stronger. The rescuer lifted the young man and placed him on the horse, which carried them both to Annie's house.
A day passed, the young man came to. The girl had cared for him all night, never taking her eyes off him, brewed an herbal potion using grandmother's recipe and gave the young lad drinks throughout the night.
Some time later Annie and the young man were married, it turned out he was a prince and lived in a wonderful palace.
The girl remembered how once long ago mum had told her:
My dear girl, when you grow up, you will surely meet your prince, who will love you, protect and shield you! Believe in your dream, and the fairy tale will come to your home and all dreams will come true.
And then Annie understood — there, in the forest, when the girl had no strength left, the fairy tale had helped her. And do you read fairy tales, do you believe in magic?
