A Winter’s Curse and a Girl’s Courage
Once upon a time, in a city cloaked in a blanket of pristine white snow, lived a raven unlike any other. This raven was cruel and bitter, his glossy black feathers as dark as the frozen roads beneath him, his crooked beak as twisted as his cruel heart. So repulsive was his appearance—and spirit—that no soul in the city dared approach him. Every day, he soared above the city’s snowy wonderland, a place transformed by winter’s magic into a breathtaking spectacle. Yet the raven despised it. To him, the snow was a deceitful veil, concealing the city’s true ugliness—the wicked people and cold, grim buildings hidden beneath the dazzling white.
One cold afternoon, on the outskirts of this winter city, the raven encountered an old witch. She was as jagged and harsh as the rocky cliffs, her beauty peculiar and unsettling, matching the raven’s own bitterness. Like him, she hated the city. With a sly smile, she offered the raven a deal: she would melt all the snow, stripping away the city’s enchanting beauty, and in return, she would transform him into something beautiful—on one condition. When she asked for a favor in the future, he must grant it without question.
Curious and desperate, the raven agreed. The witch clapped her hands, uttering an ancient spell. Slowly, the snow began to melt, dripping from rooftops and sidewalks, revealing the drab, harsh city beneath. Meanwhile, the raven cried out in pain as his feathers gave way to smooth skin, his crooked beak reshaping into a handsome nose. His pitch-black hair faded to pure white, resembling the snow that once covered the city. When the transformation was complete, standing where the raven once had been, was a striking prince.
Before the snow vanished, the city’s people had rejoiced. They built snowmen, gathered around warm fires, and shared hearty meals that comforted their spirits. The snowy landscape had been their pride, the source of joy on cold nights. But once the snow melted, the only thing the citizens admired was the newly transformed prince. They worshiped him as they had the snow, and for the first time, the raven basked in attention and adoration.
The prince soon fell in love with a gentle girl from the city. She wasn’t traditionally beautiful, but her kindness touched his heart deeply. They married and ruled together, their reign peaceful but marked by the city’s withered state. Without snow, the city grew bleak and ugly, its people struggled through scorching days, paying dearly for water and wearing tattered clothes as they tried to endure a winterless existence.
Years passed, and the prince slowly forgot the favor he owed the witch. When she appeared at the castle one day, he was unafraid and unconcerned. “Name your wish,” he said confidently, “and it shall be yours.”
With a wicked smile, the witch said simply, “I want her.”
Horrified, the prince gasped. He had never expected her to ask for what he could never replace—his wife. “No,” he insisted. “Anything else, but not her.”
The witch reminded him, “You promised. A favor is a favor. She is but an ugly, foolish woman—worthless to the world.”
The prince refused to surrender her. Enraged, the witch cursed him, transforming him back into the dreadful raven. Bewildered and unable to recognize her husband in his bird form, the wife ordered the chef to prepare a stew from him. That night, she ate the meal, oblivious to the truth, and went to sleep wondering where her husband had gone.
Meanwhile, in the city lived Gertrude, a young girl often mocked for her plain looks and small stature. She found solace only in her mother’s stories of the snow that once adorned their city—a time when everyone was happy and life felt magical. But tragedy struck on a scorching day when Gertrude’s mother succumbed to heatstroke while fetching water for her daughter.
Alone and desperate, Gertrude decided to bring back the snow, hoping to restore the happiness her mother spoke of. She sought out the oldest person in the city, a wizened woman with a hunched back who had witnessed the witch’s spell cast long ago. The woman told Gertrude of the raven’s hatred, the witch’s deal, and the curse that melted the snow.
Determined, Gertrude searched the city for the witch but found only the queen’s castle, still one of the few beautiful places left. There, she asked the queen’s wife about the witch and the missing prince.
The queen’s wife, dull and unaware, revealed how an old woman had come demanding a favor on the day the prince vanished—and how a strange bird appeared in his place, soon cooked and eaten in a stew.
With this knowledge, Gertrude braved the dark, treacherous forest that surrounded the city. The path was ancient and overgrown, shadowed by countless eyes watching from the trees. Despite fearsome growls and unseen dangers, she pressed on.
After hours, the forest thinned, and the first snowflakes touched her skin. Snow crunched beneath her feet, white and pure. She finally understood why the snow had brought joy—and why the raven had loathed it so deeply. Though she felt out of place against its beauty, Gertrude knew she had to restore it to her people.
At the edge of the clearing, she knocked on a crooked door. Inside was the witch, surrounded by crumbling walls and a roaring furnace. Gertrude offered help gathering firewood, and as the witch’s fire burned low, a plan formed in the girl’s mind. When the witch leaned into the furnace, Gertrude feigned a farewell but gently pushed the witch into the flames.
Fleeing through the snow-covered forest, Gertrude returned to the city and confronted the queen, revealing the witch’s true nature. Together, they summoned the guards, who captured the witch and brought her to justice. The witch confessed to her crimes and was sentenced to death.
The following day, as the city gathered to witness the witch’s execution, delicate snowflakes began to fall once again, covering the streets in white. The city’s people cheered and danced in the returning winter wonderland. Children built snowmen, families gathered around fires, and warmth returned to the hearts of all.
Gertrude was hailed as a hero, and the city thrived beneath the magical snow once more, forever grateful for her courage and love.
Moral of the Story:
True beauty lies not in appearances, but in kindness and courage. Even the smallest acts of bravery can restore joy and hope to a world grown cold.
