The Butterfly Effect

Once upon a time, in a dark and cold country, a woman, Mina lived in a little house with her husband and her little daughter: Catherine. Her daughter was kind and beautiful, but her husband was an ogre. Mina was afraid of him, and her daughter was her only source of joy.

One day, mother and daughter went for a walk in the forest of Wonderland. There were rumors that fairies lived in this forest, but Mina didn't think it was possible. However, that day when she and her daughter arrived near a beautiful lake, a woman wearing a long white dress and transparent wings suddenly appeared. It was a fairy! The fairy made her way to Mina, and handed her a little box set with precious stones. The woman opened the lid and saw a small blue object.

“What is it?” Mina asked, awed.

“It is a magical butterfly.” The fairy replied. “Do you know the City of Angels?”

“Of course, I have heard of it, but it's only a dream. It doesn't really exist.”

“It does exist. And this butterfly knows the way to the City. One day, when the sun is shining high in the sky, and the sky is the color of the butterfly's wings; the butterfly will grow big and fly you to the city.”

“But…”

“Believe in dreams. You don't know the truth: your daughter is a princess.”

“But…”

“Believe!”

And without another word, the fairy disappeared. From that day forward, Mina waited each day, staring at the sky. Each morning, she woke up with hoping but each night, she fell asleep with tears in her eyes. But one morning, Catherine, who was 3 years old, approached her mother.

“Mommy, ‘tterfly, ‘tterfly,” Catherine said, excited.

“ ‘tterfly?” Mina asked.

“Yeah, ‘tterfly, big, sky.”

Mina made her way to the windows and saw that the sun was shining high in the sky, and the sky had the color of the butterfly's wings. She saw a giant butterfly resting in the little garden, and she hoped her husband couldn't see it because he was mean. Mina waited until he left the house, then she and Catherine sat on the butterfly. She closed her eyes to pray. When she opened them, she saw the dark country was lying far below her: they were flying.

Three days later, the butterfly landed next to the city of angels, because only real princes and princesses could live in the city. The months and years passed, and Catherine grew up dreaming each night that she was a princess.

One day, bad witches told her that there was a village nearby where Catherine could become a beautiful princess. Catherine followed these bad witches and went to this village which was controlled by a big red dragon. Catherine was sad. The stones on the box lost their glimmer and she decided to come back home.

She thought her dreams were lost, but one day a princess knocked on her door. This princess's name was Isabella, and she needed a person to serve her during the ball. Catherine's mother was too old, so Catherine was given the task. The night of the ball arrived quickly, and the beauty of the city enchanted Catherine. The ball was organized by a prince called Robert and Catherine looked at each prince in the room while they danced. All she knew was that her prince had blue eyes and a beautiful smile. But she was poor and not a princess.

Suddenly she made her way to a room and looked at herself in a mirror. The fairy she had seen all those ages ago at the lake appeared and for a short while, gave Catherine the chance to wear a beautiful dress. When she looked again in the mirror, Catherine saw that she looked like a princess. But she also saw blue eyes and a beautiful smile and when she turned around, she saw it was not a dream. The prince was real. As Isabella's voice approached, the prince went away and the dress disappeared.

Each night Catherine saw this man in her dreams and waited for him. During the day she sang for him, calling his name. Some of the precious stones on the box began to shine again. She ignored it, but the prince, named Adam was looking for her. He thought she was a princess, so he couldn't find her.

One day, he heard her voice and followed it. He saw her near a river, washing clothes. Catherine, hearing his horse, turned around and immediately recognized him.

He remembered the day when a fairy said him, his princess was the most beautiful woman in the world and in one kiss he would know. So Adam gave Catherine a small kiss; it was magical. Adam knew he had found his princess. The princess of his dreams, of his heart.

He came back to the city of angels with her, and married her. They were very happy. Catherine became a princess and brought her mother to live with her. They were no longer poor. The rest of the precious stones shone once again, but one of the stones had disappeared.

One day, Catherine gave birth to her own little princess and a magical thing happened: the lost stone reappeared and shone brighter than all the other stones.

Catherine and Adam decided to name their daughter Gemma, meaning precious stone, because she was as precious and beautiful as the stone on the box.

And they lived happily ever after ….

~~~The End~~~