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I lived with my father, my mother, and my younger sister in the forest of the king. We were happy, despite not having much money. But it was also a difficult time for me, because I was jealous of my sister. I was pretty, but she was prettier. |
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One day, I was in the forest, hunting with my magical lion. I had a lion that would catch rabbits for me. He would seize them in his ferocious jaws but he would not kill them. He would bring them to me to give to my family to eat. The lion would hunt for me only when I began to sing. |
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That day, the prince was also hunting in the forest when he heard my songs and saw me with my magical lion. "Young lady, young lady, beautiful young lady," he said to me. "Give me your lion. I will give you 2000 francs." I was not without intelligence, but I had no idea how much 2000 francs was. So, I said to him, "No, prince, I cannot. This is my magical lion. I cannot be happy without my lion." |
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The next day, I was hunting with my lion and the prince saw me again. Again, he said to me, "Young lady, young lady, beautiful young lady, give me your lion." But again I told him no. |
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This went on for a week. On the last day, the prince, who pleased me with his handsome face and sweet words, again demanded: "Young lady, young lady, beautiful young lady, give me your lion." I wanted to please the prince, but I looked at my lion, who regarded me with sweet and trusting eyes, and again I said, "No, my prince. I cannot. This is my magical lion. He nourishes me." |
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The prince got down from his horse. He walked up to me. He took my hand in his warm, smooth fingers. "Here," he said to me. "This is yours. It is an emerald." He gave me a magnificent stone, big as an egg, green as all the forests of the world, brilliant as the sun. |
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"Dear young lady. It is yours. If you give me your lion, I will give you many other jewels, some as blue as the ocean, others as red as your lips." But I could not give him my magical lion. |
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That evening, my sister found my emerald and she wanted it. She asked me where I had gotten such a jewel, exclaiming to me, "Sister, sister! Tell me! Tell me! This is the greatest treasure of our lives!" |
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"No, sister," I told her. "I cannot. Because you will tell our parents, and they will give my lion to the prince!" And I cried with sadness and fear. |
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The next day, I was sick with a high fever. I could not sing or hunt with my lion. I slept in my bed all day in a feverish state, with nightmares and reddened eyes and throat. |
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As I lay there, my sister, very curious, took my lion and ran into the forest. There, she encountered the prince. When he saw her great beauty, he was inflamed with love. He descended from his horse, got down on one knee, and said to her, "Most beautiful young lady! If you give me your lion, I will marry you. Come, come with me and I will take you to the palace and present you to my parents, the king and the queen!" |
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And so my sister mounted the prince's horse, and together they rode to the palace, trailing my lion behind on a golden leash. The king and queen were enchanted with the beauty of my sister. Happily, they accepted her into the family. And so they were married. My father was so overjoyed at this great good fortune that he cried with happiness! |
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But I... I was very unhappy. My sister who was so beautiful, she had the prince, she had great wealth and many sparkling jewels. But I did not have my magical lion. My parents no longer had need of him and his rabbits, because they were rich now. I did not have my lion and I could no longer sing. When I opened my mouth, no sound came out. I cried but I could not sing. The only thing left to me was the green jewel from the prince. |
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Time went by. The prince became discontent with my lion because it would not hunt for him. Or, if it hunted, it would devour the rabbits immediately. |
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My sister saw that I was unhappy. "Sister, sister," she said to me. "What's the matter with you?" |
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"I want my lion! I can no longer sing. I can no longer run in the forest! I have lost my voice and my spirit!" |
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"Oh, sister of my heart," she said to me, and with tender kisses she embraced me. "I love you and I want you to be happy. So, I will give you your lion!" |
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And true to her words, she asked her husband to give me my lion. The prince, who no longer wanted this useless animal, was happy to part with the beast. "Here it is," he said to me, leading the lion to me on its golden leash. |
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When I saw my old friend, my eyes filled with happy tears and, in a voice strong and clear, I said to my sister, "Oh sister! In the past, I was jealous of your beauty. And then I was jealous of your marriage and your riches. But now, I know that the only important thing is our own magic. Everyone has his own magic, and my lion is my magic and my joy!" |
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My lion looked at me with his soft and tender eyes. I opened my mouth and I sang, "Sister! Sister! Here is the emerald of my jealousy. My heart is at peace. I embrace you!" |
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And I placed the emerald in her hand. |
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With that, I was free. I ran with my lion in the forest as in the past, but now it no longer hunted, as we had no need to kill the rabbits for food. I sang like a bird. |
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And my songs, my songs, were stories like this one. Everyone loved my stories because, with a heart full of kindness and love, my stories were magical! My stories gave happiness and good luck to all who heard them. |