A blessing in disguise
She stood alone in the tower gazing thru the window that was overlooking the forest. Some days she imagined she could hear the trees whispering to each other and others she thought she just might be going crazy. The princess had been locked away in the tower for as long as she could remember. Sometimes however, when in the midst of falling asleep, vague memories of her childhood caught up with her. Once again she remembered what it was like to speak to the trees. Trees that always listened calmly and always knew how to put her to sleep.
One day a dove landed on one of the window ornaments. The dove stayed and watched her for a while and then it left. The day after the same thig happened. The princess felt a sensation of worry. What was the dove trying to tell her? The dove kept coming back every day during the following weeks and one day she thought she heard a voice. “My love, have you tried to open the door?”
The princess thought about it and then answered no. The voice did not respond and shortly thereafter the dove disappeared. Yet another year passed. She could see the seasons change, the sun set and rise, hear the autumn winds roar outside and listen to the silence of the first snow. One spring day she remembered the voice and realized that she no longer could hear the trees whisper, if only in her mind.
The following morning she went out of bed, got dressed, packed a few belongings in a worn out skirt and walked up to the door. She thought that the door looked hostile. She had never thought about that before. It looked like it was happy keeping her hostage. Like it laughed at the thought of her even trying to open it. The door challenged her: “Try me. You already know you will fail.” Every day the same procedure took place and every day she returned to her wooden bed. She returned because if she didn’t try she could never fail, she thought.
One day the dove appeared anew. This time it did not whisper. This time it asked her up front: “My love, why don’t you open the door?” The princess became angry at the bird asking it to leave. When it didn’t she said: “What do you know about life? You are just a stupid bird with no troubles in the world.”
If you say so, the bird answered.
The following morning the princess went up to the door, not reflecting about whether it would open or not. She put her hand on the cold black door handle and pushed it. Nothing happened. She pushed the handle down yet again and still nothing. The third time she pushed the handle she used the other hand to push directly onto the door. The door slowly slid open with a grating sound and she sank to the floor, perplexed by her own strength.
Only your belief can set you free, said a voice behind her. And now, you believe.