Far-away near-by, long –ago just a while

In the vast kingdom beyond

Beauty-ful princess wise’n smart said with a smile

“I will make him my husband

The one who shall bring blue beautiful rose in a year”

To him I’ll lay my heart bare.....

 Troubled king knowing there is no blue rose told vizier “I am clear

Arriving with a blue rose, the first comer

Will have the hand of my daughter as his willing bride

He will be future chief

Let this merry news be spread clear and fast, far and wide

To you this is my brief

Any one tries’nd fails will have the head removed”

Three youths came anon

One was vizier’s son and was very shrewd

Second crafty magician’s son

Last was a poor little farmer’s son simple and bare

All three came and were told

“You have one year’s time to travel and well prepare

  End of rainbow is, pot of gold.”

With wafer Chinese paper, special dye, blended well

Indian rose perfume very heady,

Was sprinkled on top to feed the nostrils with rosy smell;

Junior vizier’s rose is ready.

Magician’s son reached the sea   summoned Neptune and prayed

Requested him to make rose

From best of sapphire and shells to support rose was made

Proudly holding it he gave a pose

Farmers son met the potter” bake me the best porcelain

Transparent and the bottom painted

Will have blue rose paintings, when lighted it would shine”

 Stunning it was when completed

All of them arrived together and were given date and time to enter,

Vizier’s son on the first day;

Next day magician son, followed by the farmer day after;

Let’s see what princess has to say...

 The night before the first day, princes in her bed lay;

Middle of the night clock struck one;

 Floating in air voice of a bard on “poison  in the morrow’s dye”

She looked, she was there alone.

 A Mynah she carried and had her seated behind a curtain

Paper rose was handed

The Mynah smelt the rose and fainted as dye had poison

Cried she! let callous suitor be beheaded

 The night came,  clock struck two and song she heard

“The sapphire has an unlucky spot”

Was it not the voice that cautioned of her poision –the bard!!

Disappeared; it was he was he not?

To the court she went with a candle burning bright

When offered   rose she

Could see in the middle two black spots by the candle light

“Off with his head it shall be”

In the night waiting patiently for bard to come,  clock struck three,

"The fragile glass will break if you press;"

Heard she and ran to the window, a glimpse of him she wanted to see.

Who is this bard?...she was under stress.

Gloves in hand the following day she went to check on the matter

Took the glass in hand gave it a squeeze

Lucky was she having a gloves, the glass went shatter

"Spare me" farmer said and was on his knees

That night she went down the river and found at stroke of four

a fair and  handsome bard she found

“Come tomorrow to the court with a white rose call it blue and present me.

Now go away without any sound.”

Father was aghast as only princess wouldn’t get married;

Court was mourning without a heir,

Seriously pondering how could he get her married though she dilly dallied

He sulked thinking it is not fair

The day next, princes came to court with a blue ribbon in hand

Voice was heard loud

“Came for hand of princess, allow me to make her my bride

I would do her proud”

Saying thus he gave the rose for everyone to see

This is only white, where is the blue hue

Princess tied blue ribbon to stem knotting it she cried” it is he

Truly brought a rose that is blue”

For a minute court fell silent didn’t know what to say

Suddenly “yes blue it is!!" papa cried

Then Vizier, Magician, Farmer, the court burst out yea! yea!

Three sons sentenced to be tried

 Said leave us!!  That we can attend the marriage of princess and bard!!

Of enjoying the wedding ball....

 Happy Princess spared them all, she could not be very hard

Come let us all tromp to the wedding hall

( My sister in law is a lovely person. we have long conversations over phone . She was telling me how she had borrowed a small chinese story and made it into a  fairy tale for telling her children.She was teling me the story when we were driving(I dont drive ,Beena my wife was driving and I was concentrating on catching the words of my sis in law). so I could hear only parts of the story . I filled in the rest with my imagination . But I give the full credit to my "leelma" as she is called.........)