A blue dove for the princess

chapter 3

While caring for the Princess and looking back upon the days spent with her, a faint memory flashed across the dove's mind. It was the story told by its mother who died when the dove was still a baby.

"Somewhere in the world is a big magic tree, and its fruits can cure every injury and every disease. It is so far away, deep down in the rocky mountains that no one can ever step foot in."

That magic fruit can get rid of her disease and save her life, the dove thought. She will be well if I can get one.

But, the more the dove thought about it, the less confident it felt. There was no time to be sitting and doing nothing, but it just couldn't make up its mind.

"Can I escape hawks and falcons if they come after me?"

"Can I fly to the mountains so far away and then fly over them?"

"Can I simply fly for such a long time?"

"Can I really carry the fruit with this small beak of mine, even if I'm lucky enough to get there?"

"And above all, can I manage to make it back in one piece?"

These bad feelings would not leave the dove's head. That couldn't be helped because it had been living in the cage since its injury. Having been protected all the time by the Princess since then, all it did was hop around in his tiny birdcage.

In the meantime, the Princess kept becoming worse, day by day.

The next morning, an old nursemaid came to feed the dove on behalf of the Princess. She was about to open the cage just a little to put feed in with her wrinkled hand. The dove was watching her do so with a determined look on its face, waiting for his chance. Then, it took a chance and got out the cage. Flying through the room's door and flying across the castle's walls, the dove was heading for the sky high above. He heard the nursemaid shout "O' dear!" from behind.
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as the dove finally free from the fear of hawks and falcons? Definitely not. Had it the idea of what course to take? Absolutely not. Nevertheless, he took desperate flight just in pursuit of the magic fruit.