Far far away, behind the word mountains

Once upon a time, there was a princess named Lila who had a special gift. She could talk to animals and understand what they said. She loved to chat with the birds and the squirrels in the garden of her castle. She also had long and beautiful hair that shone like gold in the sun. One day, a little bird came to her window and told her something very scary. He said that the villagers were planning to sacrifice her for her long hair. They believed that her hair had magic powers and that if they cut it and burned it, the rain would come back. There was a terrible drought in the land and the river was almost dry. The villagers could not leave the kingdom to find another source of water because there was a war going on with a neighboring country. The princess's father, the king, was away fighting in the war and the villagers took advantage of his absence to attack the castle and look for the princess. The princess was terrified and did not know what to do. She ran to her maid, who was her best friend, and told her everything. The maid said that they had to escape before the villagers found them. She helped the princess pack some clothes and food and they sneaked out of the castle through a secret passage. They ran into the woods, hoping to find a safe place to hide. They wandered in the woods for days, living on berries and nuts. The princess missed her father and her home very much. She also missed talking to the animals, but there were not many in the woods. She only saw a few rabbits and deer, who were too shy to talk to her. She felt lonely and sad. One night, as they were sleeping under a tree, they heard some noises. They woke up and saw a group of men on horses. They were soldiers from the enemy country. They had spotted the princess and the maid and were coming towards them. The princess and the maid tried to run away, but it was too late. The soldiers caught them and tied them up. They said that they would take them to their camp and make them their prisoners. The princess and the maid were very scared. They did not know what would happen to them. They prayed for someone to save them. As they were being dragged along by the soldiers, they heard another noise. It was a loud roar. They looked up and saw a huge lion coming out of the bushes. The lion was angry and fierce. He attacked the soldiers and scared them away. He freed the princess and the maid and licked their faces. He said that he was a friend of the princess and that he had heard her talking to the animals. He said that he had followed them from the castle and that he had come to rescue them. The princess and the maid were very grateful to the lion. They thanked him and hugged him. The lion said that he would take them to a safe place where they could rest. He led them to a cave where he lived. He said that they could stay there as long as they wanted. He gave them some water and some meat that he had hunted. He said that he would protect them from any danger. The princess and the maid felt much better. They ate and drank and then fell asleep in the cave. The lion stayed outside and kept watch. The next morning, they woke up and saw a handsome prince standing at the entrance of the cave. He had a sword in his hand and a smile on his face. He said that he was patrolling the area and that he had seen the lion. He said that he was curious and that he had followed him to the cave. He said that he was surprised and delighted to find the princess and the maid there. He said that he was the prince of the enemy country and that he was the son of the king who was fighting against the princess's father. He said that he did not want to fight or harm them. He said that he wanted to help them and be their friend. The princess and the maid were shocked and confused. They did not know if they could trust the prince. They did not know if he was telling the truth or lying. They did not know if he was a friend or a foe. The prince said that he understood their feelings and that he did not blame them. He said that he knew that they had been through a lot and that they needed some time to think. He said that he would leave them alone and that he would come back later. He said that he hoped that they would give him a chance and that they would talk to him. He said that he had something important to tell them. He said that he had a plan to end the war and the drought and to bring peace and happiness to both kingdoms. He said that he needed their help to make it happen. He then bowed and left the cave. He said that he would be back soon. The princess and the maid looked at each other. They did not know what to do. They did not know what to think. They did not know what to feel. They decided to wait and see what the prince would say when he came back. They decided to listen to him and to give him a chance. They decided to hope for the best and to prepare for the worst. They also decided to talk to the lion and to thank him again for saving them. They decided to ask him what he thought of the prince and if he trusted him. They decided to listen to his advice and to follow his guidance. They decided to be brave and to be smart. They decided to be kind and to be fair. They decided to be hopeful and to be careful. They decided to be ready for anything. They decided to be themselves.