The Singing, Soaring Lark

Once upon a time, there lived a wealthy merchant who had three daughters. Each was beautiful in her own way, but it was the youngest who possessed a heart as pure as morning dew and as brave as any knight. She would soon need all her courage and love, for her tale would become one of the most wondrous adventures ever told.

The Merchant’s Promise

The merchant was preparing for a long journey to distant lands, where he hoped to acquire rare treasures for his trade. Before departing, he gathered his three daughters around him.

“My dear children,” he said warmly, “I shall be away for many months. Tell me, what gifts would you like me to bring back from my travels?”

The eldest daughter clasped her hands together. “Father, please bring me a necklace of the finest pearls, as white as snow and as lustrous as moonbeams.”

The second daughter smiled sweetly. “I would love a ring of pure gold, set with diamonds that sparkle like stars in the night sky.”

But the youngest daughter’s request was different. She thought for a moment, then said with gentle sincerity, “Father, I ask only for a singing, soaring lark. I have heard their voices carry the music of heaven itself.”

The merchant laughed kindly. “My dear child, surely you could ask for jewels or fine silks? A lark seems such a simple gift.”

“It is what my heart desires most,” she replied with a smile. “The song of a lark brings more joy than any treasure.”

The Perilous Garden

The merchant’s journey proved successful beyond his wildest dreams. He acquired the most exquisite pearls and the most brilliant diamonds for his elder daughters. But despite searching every market and woodland, he could not find the singing, soaring lark his youngest daughter had requested.

On his journey home, as twilight painted the sky in shades of purple and gold, the merchant heard the most beautiful song echoing through the forest. Following the melodious voice, he discovered a magnificent garden surrounded by towering walls.

Through the iron gates, he could see the most wondrous sight: a golden lark perched upon a silver branch, its voice soaring with such beauty that it seemed to make the very flowers dance. This was surely the singing, soaring lark his daughter desired!

Without thinking of the consequences, the merchant climbed over the wall and carefully captured the precious bird. But as he prepared to leave, a thunderous roar shook the garden.

The Lion’s Demand

Before the merchant stood an enormous lion, its mane flowing like liquid fire, its eyes blazing with fury.

“How dare you steal from my garden!” the lion roared. “This theft will cost you your life!”

The merchant fell to his knees, trembling. “Please, great lord, forgive me! I took the lark only as a gift for my beloved daughter. I meant no harm!”

The lion’s eyes narrowed, but something in the merchant’s sincere plea seemed to soften his rage slightly. “You speak of love for your daughter? Very well, I shall spare your life on one condition: you must send me the first creature that greets you upon your return home. If you refuse, you shall die where you stand.”

The merchant’s heart raced. Surely it would be his faithful dog who would greet him first, as always. With heavy heart but no choice, he agreed to the lion’s terms.

An Unexpected Greeting

When the merchant arrived home, his heart filled with dread, he was amazed to see not his dog but his youngest daughter running toward him with arms outstretched.

“Father! Welcome home!” she cried joyfully, embracing him before he could even dismount from his horse.

The merchant’s blood turned cold as he realized what this meant. With tears streaming down his face, he told his daughter of his promise to the lion.

But the brave young woman did not weep or despair. Instead, she held her father close and said, “Dear father, you gave your word to save your life. I shall go willingly to the lion, for a promise must be kept.”

The Enchanted Castle

The next morning, the youngest daughter bid farewell to her family and set off for the lion’s garden. When she arrived, the great beast was waiting for her, but to her surprise, his manner was gentle rather than fierce.

“You have come as promised,” the lion said, his voice now warm and melodious. “Your courage honors you. Come, I shall show you to your new home.”

He led her to a magnificent castle that appeared as if by magic, its towers reaching toward the clouds, its gardens filled with every flower imaginable. Invisible servants attended to her every need, providing the finest foods, the most beautiful gowns, and chambers decorated with precious gems.

Each day, the lion would visit her, and she found him to be the most charming and intelligent companion. They would walk through the gardens, discussing poetry and philosophy, sharing stories and laughter. Though she could not see his face in the darkness where they met, his voice was kind and his conversation delightful.

The Secret Revealed

As weeks turned to months, the young woman found herself falling in love with her mysterious companion. One night, gathering all her courage, she said, “Dear friend, I have grown to love you dearly. But I cannot see you clearly in this eternal twilight. Please, show me your true form.”

“Sweet maiden,” the lion replied sadly, “that I cannot do. If you were to see me in the light, great misfortune would befall us both. Trust in my love, as I trust in yours.”

But love makes the heart bold, and the young woman’s curiosity grew stronger each day. Finally, unable to bear the mystery any longer, she hid a candle in her chamber and lit it when the lion came to bid her goodnight.

In the flickering candlelight, she gasped in wonder. Before her stood not a fearsome beast, but the most handsome prince she had ever seen, with golden hair like sunlight and eyes as blue as summer skies.

The Enchantress’s Curse

The prince awakened at the light and cried out in anguish. “What have you done? Now the enchantress who cursed me will know that someone has seen my true form!”

Suddenly, the castle shook with terrible force, and an evil enchantress appeared in a whirlwind of smoke and shadow.

“So!” she shrieked with malicious glee. “The curse has been broken by prying eyes! Very well, if she must see you, let her see you thus!”

With a wave of her gnarled hand, the prince was transformed into a singing, soaring lark, just like the one the merchant had captured in the garden.

“He shall remain a bird until you complete three impossible tasks,” the enchantress cackled. “And when you fail, as surely you must, he will be mine forever!”

The Quest for True Love

The lark-prince flew to the young woman’s shoulder and sang sadly, “My beloved, you must not attempt these tasks. They are designed to be impossible. Forget me and live happily.”

But true love knows no fear of impossibility. “I shall complete whatever tasks she sets,” the brave maiden declared. “For love gives strength to overcome any obstacle.”

The enchantress smiled cruelly. “Very well, foolish girl. Your first task is to collect every grain of millet scattered across my field in a single day. Miss even one grain, and your prince remains a bird forever.”

As dawn broke, the young woman found herself in an enormous field where millions of millet grains lay scattered across the earth. The task seemed truly impossible, but she knelt and began to pick up the tiny seeds one by one.

Just as despair began to creep into her heart, she heard a familiar song. The lark-prince had called upon all the birds of the air to help his beloved. Thousands of sparrows, finches, and songbirds descended from the sky, each gathering grains in their beaks until every last one had been collected.

The Second Task

The enchantress’s eyes blazed with fury when she saw the completed task. “Beginner’s luck!” she snarled. “Your second task is this: empty my lake with a spoon that has holes in it. You have until sunset, or your prince remains cursed forever.”

At the edge of a vast lake that stretched beyond the horizon, the young woman found the perforated spoon. Water poured through its holes as quickly as she could scoop it up. But again, the lark-prince’s song brought magical aid.

The great whale of the deep sea, hearing the prince’s plea, swam up through underground rivers to the lake. With one mighty gulp, the whale swallowed all the water, leaving the lake bed dry as desert sand.

The Final Challenge

Now the enchantress was truly enraged. “Clever girl! But your final task will surely defeat you. You must bring me a feather from the Phoenix of the Sun, who lives in the castle beyond the edge of the world. And you must return before the cock crows at dawn, or all your efforts will be for nothing!”

This seemed the most impossible task of all. The castle beyond the edge of the world was countless miles away, farther than any mortal had ever traveled. But the young woman’s love burned brighter than any flame.

The lark-prince sang with all his might, and his call reached the ears of the great Griffin, mightiest of all flying creatures. The Griffin, moved by the tale of true love, offered to carry the maiden on his powerful wings.

Through the night they flew, beyond mountains and oceans, beyond the realm of stars, to the very edge of the world where the Phoenix of the Sun dwelled in a castle of pure light.

The Phoenix’s Gift

The Phoenix, wise and ancient, listened to the maiden’s story with compassion. “True love such as yours deserves reward,” the great bird said, its voice like the sound of golden bells. “I give you not one feather, but three - one for the task, one for protection, and one for the future happiness you have earned.”

The Griffin carried the maiden back through the night, arriving just as the first light of dawn began to touch the eastern sky. She placed the Phoenix feather at the enchantress’s feet just as the cock crowed.

Love Triumphant

The enchantress shrieked in defeat and rage, but she was bound by her own magical words. As the Phoenix feather touched the ground, the lark-prince was restored to his human form, more handsome than ever and free from all enchantment.

“Your love has broken the curse,” he said, taking his beloved in his arms. “Will you be my bride and rule beside me as my queen?”

With joy overflowing her heart, she accepted, and their wedding was celebrated throughout the kingdom. The merchant was invited to live in the palace, and the singing, soaring lark - the very one that had started the adventure - became the official herald of their court, its beautiful song announcing each new day of their happiness.

The Moral of Love

And so the merchant’s youngest daughter learned that sometimes the simplest wishes lead to the greatest adventures. Her request for a singing lark had brought her not just the bird’s beautiful song, but a love story that would be told for generations.

The three Phoenix feathers remained in the royal treasury - one a reminder of the impossible made possible by love, one a protection against future enchantments, and one saved for the day when another soul would need to prove that true love can conquer any curse.

The prince and his bride ruled with wisdom and kindness, and it was said that wherever their love reached, magic bloomed and singing larks filled the air with melodies of hope and joy, reminding all who heard them that love is the greatest magic of all.