NARDO and the PRINCESS
by Abbie Phillips Walker · from Sandman's rainy day stories
Adapted Version
Once there were two princes. Nardo was kind. Stephen was not kind. Stephen was greedy. Nardo was good to all.
One day, an old man came. He asked for food. He asked for a bed. Stephen said, "Go away!" Nardo said, "No, stop!" Nardo let the old man in.
The Old Man thanked Nardo. He gave Nardo a ring. "This ring is magic," he said. "It gives you wishes. Wishes money cannot buy." Nardo put the ring away.
Nardo loved The Princess. She was very beautiful. Nardo wished for her love. He put on the magic ring. He wished for her love. The Princess loved him too.
Stephen also loved The Princess. He saw Nardo's ring. He knew the ring was magic. Stephen wanted the ring. He wanted The Princess.
Stephen went to The Witch. The Witch was bad. Stephen asked for help. The Witch took Nardo's ring. She put a spell on Nardo. Nardo forgot The Princess. He forgot the magic ring.
Stephen did not give gold. The Witch was very angry. She took the magic ring back. She put a spell on Stephen. She sent Stephen far away. He was very far from home.
The Princess was very sad. Nardo was cold to her. He did not look at her. She felt strange. She felt strange about Stephen. She did not know why.
One night, The Princess saw a bird. The bird was stuck. She helped the little bird. It was a Fairy Bird. At midnight, it became a fairy.
The Fairy Bird thanked The Princess. "I will help you," it said. The Fairy Bird learned about Nardo. It learned about the magic ring. Stephen took the ring.
The Fairy Bird became a bird again. It flew to The Witch's home. A big Dragon was there. The Fairy Bird sang a song. The Dragon fell asleep. The bird took the magic stone.
The Fairy Bird flew to Nardo. Nardo was sleeping. The bird put the stone in his hand. The spell was broken. Nardo remembered his love.
Nardo woke up. He ran to The Princess. The sun came up. They saw each other. They were very happy.
Stephen was far away. He thought about his choices. He felt very sad. He wanted to be good. He became a good person.
Nardo and The Princess were very happy. They loved each other much. They married. They lived happily ever after.
Kindness is always best. Bad choices make you sad. But people can change and be good.
Original Story
NARDO AND THE PRINCESS
Once there lived a king who had two sons, and, though they were twins, they were as different as if they had been strangers.
Nardo was kind and good, while his brother Stephen was greedy and selfish, never doing any one kindness.
One day there came to the King’s gates an old beggar man who asked for a night’s lodging and food.
The brothers were standing near and Stephen told the servants to close the gates, that a palace was no place for beggars.
“Stop,” said Nardo to the servant; “a palace is just the place for beggars. Brother, we have a plenty and to spare; let the poor man enter.”
The beggar thanked Nardo and said: “You shall never regret your kindness. Wear this ring, and whenever you wish for something money cannot buy you shall have your wish.”
Nardo put the ring in his pocket and forgot all about it until he fell in love with a beautiful princess, and, like all lovers, he was afraid she did not love him.
Then he remembered the old beggar man and the ring, and put it on and wished for the love of the beautiful Princess.
It happened that Stephen also loved the Princess, but he knew she did not love him, and, seeing the ring the old beggar had given Nardo on his hand one day, he remembered what the beggar had said when he gave his brother the ring.
“I must have the ring,” said Stephen. “Then I will have the love of the Princess; besides that, her father, the King, is old, and when he dies I shall be king in his place.”
But it was no easy matter to possess the ring, for Nardo was as big and strong as Stephen. There was no way to get the ring from off his finger unless he took it by force or could get some witch to weave a spell over him.
And all this time the beautiful Princess was in love with Nardo. Had he only known it, he needed no magic ring to win her love for him.
One night after trying in vain to get the ring Stephen went to an old witch who lived in a cave by the sea and asked her to get the ring for him, promising to make her rich if she would get it.
The witch was greedy for gold, so one night while Nardo slept she crept into the palace, aided by the wicked Stephen, and cast a spell over Nardo, which made him forget the ring and also his love for the beautiful Princess.
Stephen, with the ring on his finger, felt that all was easy now, and he promptly forgot all about the old witch and the gold he promised her.
The beautiful Princess looked with sad eyes upon the now cold and indifferent Nardo, and, while she did not love Stephen, she felt each day that she was being drawn to him, though she knew well enough she did not love any one but Nardo.
The old witch, however, helped the Princess out of part of her troubles, for when she found that Stephen did not intend to give her the gold, she waited for him one day in the palace grounds, hidden behind a clump of bushes, and when he came out for a walk she pointed her lean fingers at him and placed him under a spell which made him follow her to her cave by the sea.
Here she chained him to a rock and put a dragon to watch that he did not escape; but while the Princess escaped marrying Stephen, he still possessed the ring which kept Nardo from remembering he had ever loved the Princess.
One night when the Princess was sitting in her window looking at the moon and sighing over her lost lover and his love she saw a nightingale caught by its wing in a tree.
The tree was so close that the Princess had only to reach out and rescue the poor bird and set it free.
The nightingale, in gratitude for its life, began to sing so sweetly that the Princess exclaimed, “Oh, sing each night by my window, beautiful bird, that I may for a little while at least forget my sorrow.”
The hour of midnight was just then striking, and as the last stroke of twelve died away the nightingale changed into a fairy.
“I am powerless to use my magic until the hour of midnight strikes,” said the little fairy. “I have chosen to become a nightingale until then, and the Queen will not give me the power of a fairy until I change my form to one.
“If it had not been for your kindness I might never have become a fairy again, for the nightingale’s wing would have been broken, and no imperfect creature can reclaim its form, once it has changed from a fairy.
“If I can help you, tell me and I will go to the Queen and ask to remain a fairy, and then no matter how hard the task you set I am sure I can make you happy.”
Of course, the Princess did not know about the magic ring, and she could only tell the fairy how once she had felt sure that Nardo loved her and then suddenly he had changed and would not notice her at all.
The fairy listened to the Princess and told her not to worry; that she was sure there was something wrong; that Nardo still loved her, and at midnight the next night she would return, and away she flittered in the moonlight, leaving the Princess happier than she had been for many a day.
It took the fairy but a short time to unravel the mystery, and the next night when the Princess went to her window she found the little fairy waiting for her, perched on the sill.
“Do not grieve, my Princess,” said the fairy. “Nardo still loves you; it is all the work of his wicked brother Stephen, who loved you, too.”
Then she told the Princess the story of the ring and how Stephen had got the old witch to get it for him, and that if he had given her the gold he would have married the Princess in spite of all she could have done.
“But if Nardo still loves me, why does he keep away? Why does he not tell me of his love?” asked the Princess.
“He will, my dear Princess, when he remembers,” said the fairy, “and there is where the difficult part comes in.
“We must get the ring or the stone. It is only the stone that holds the charm, but that is still on Stephen’s finger, and to get near to him the dragon must be overpowered.”
“Oh! I will send all my father’s soldiers,” said the Princess; “they can kill the dragon, I am sure.”
“Not a dragon that belongs to a witch,” said the fairy, “and if my plan works, and I think it will, we shall not need soldiers. I will be back before the sun rises. Wait for me.”
Away went the fairy to her Queen and again asked to be changed into a nightingale. “It is to help some one in trouble, dear Queen,” she said, “and never again will I ask to change my form.”
The Queen granted her wish and away flew the nightingale toward the sea, where lived the witch and the dragon.
When she was near the cave she began her sweetest song, and as she flew nearer she sang more sweetly and softly until she alighted on a tree right over the rock where lay the dragon and the sleeping Stephen.
The eyes of the dragon were wide open, watching on all sides for any one who might dare attempt to rescue Stephen.
When he heard the sweet tones of the nightingale the dragon raised its head and looked around, but, seeing only a bird perched over his head, he had no fear. Softly, sweetly, the nightingale trilled and sang its soothing song until at last the dragon began to nod its head, and after a while it dropped to the ground, fast asleep.
The poor nightingale was so worn out with singing so long that it hardly had strength to fly down to where Stephen was sleeping.
Very carefully it did so with only a soft waving of its wings, and then its bill plucked from the ring on Stephen’s hand the red stone, and off it flew with the stone held tightly in its bill.
Only once did it stop, and that was to sip a drop of dew from a rose-bush where it alighted to rest, and then on it went to the palace where Nardo was sleeping and flew through the window of his bedroom.
Nardo’s hand was open on the pillow beside his face, and into his hand the nightingale placed the red stone and flew away to the Princess.
“Your lover will be here with the sun,” she said, “and as it is not far from that time I must fly to my Queen.
“Farewell, my kind Princess. May you be happy with your Prince, and if you are as good and kind as a Queen as you were when a Princess I shall never regret my night’s work.”
The Princess thanked her again and again, but the fairy was away before she had finished, and just then the sun peeped through the trees and at the same time the sound of horses’ hoofs was heard coming along the road.
The Princess’s cheeks grew red, for she knew it was her lover, and when she reached the palace door there he was just riding up.
When the spell was broken for Nardo it released poor Stephen from the power of the witch; the sea rolled in and the wind shrieked among the trees and the next thing Stephen knew he was running through the forest toward his home.
Of course, he was too much ashamed to tell of all that had happened to him and said he had been hunting in the forest and lost his way; and Nardo and the Princess kept his secret and did not let him know they were aware of his treachery, and as he grew to be a better man as the years went by, they were glad they did.
Story DNA
Moral
Kindness is rewarded, while greed and treachery lead to suffering, but even a villain can find redemption through forgiveness and self-reflection.
Plot Summary
Nardo, a kind prince, receives a magic ring for his compassion. His greedy brother, Stephen, covets the ring and the love of the Princess, so he conspires with a witch to steal the ring and cast a spell on Nardo, making him forget his love. The witch, betrayed by Stephen, then curses him. The Princess, confused by Nardo's coldness, rescues a nightingale, which transforms into a grateful fairy. The fairy uncovers Stephen's treachery and retrieves the magic stone from the ring, breaking Nardo's spell. Nardo and the Princess reunite, and Stephen, freed from his curse, eventually becomes a better man.
Themes
Emotional Arc
suffering to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Reflects common European fairy tale tropes of good vs. evil siblings, magic rings, and the triumph of virtue.
Plot Beats (15)
- King has two twin sons, Nardo (kind) and Stephen (greedy).
- An old beggar seeks lodging; Stephen rejects him, but Nardo welcomes him.
- The beggar gifts Nardo a magic ring that grants wishes for things money cannot buy.
- Nardo falls in love with a princess and uses the ring to wish for her love, unaware she already loves him.
- Stephen, also in love with the princess, learns of the ring's power and covets it.
- Stephen enlists a greedy witch to steal the ring and cast a spell on Nardo, making him forget the ring and his love.
- Stephen, with the ring, forgets his promise to the witch, who then curses him, chaining him to a rock guarded by a dragon.
- The Princess is sad and confused by Nardo's coldness, though she feels an unnatural pull towards Stephen.
- The Princess rescues a trapped nightingale, which transforms into a fairy at midnight.
- The grateful fairy promises to help the Princess and investigates Nardo's change, discovering Stephen's plot and the magic ring.
- The fairy, transforming back into a nightingale, lulls the dragon to sleep with its song and retrieves the magic stone from Stephen's ring.
- The nightingale places the stone in Nardo's hand, breaking the spell.
- Nardo remembers his love and rushes to the Princess as the sun rises.
- Stephen is freed from the witch's spell and returns home, ashamed, eventually becoming a better person.
- Nardo and the Princess marry, keeping Stephen's secret and living happily.
Characters
Nardo ★ protagonist
Tall and strongly built, with a robust physique, matching his twin brother Stephen in size and strength. His features are likely noble and kind, reflecting his inner disposition.
Attire: Wears fine, well-tailored garments appropriate for a prince, likely made of rich fabrics like velvet or silk in deep, regal colors, possibly with subtle embroidery. His attire would be practical yet elegant, suitable for both court and riding.
Wants: To win the love of the Princess and live a happy life. Initially, he seeks the Princess's love, then to break the spell and reunite with her.
Flaw: Susceptible to magic and treachery, particularly from his brother. He is initially unaware of the Princess's true feelings, leading him to rely on magic.
Starts as a kind prince who falls in love and uses magic out of insecurity. He then falls under a spell, losing his memory of love. He is eventually freed from the spell and reunited with his love, learning the importance of genuine connection over magic.
Kind, good, generous, loving, somewhat naive (initially unaware of the Princess's love), and honorable.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young adult prince of noble European descent, standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has neatly styled dark blonde hair, kind blue eyes, and fair skin. He wears a deep blue velvet tunic with silver embroidery at the cuffs and collar, tailored dark breeches, and polished brown leather boots. A simple silver ring is on his finger. He has a gentle, thoughtful expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Stephen ⚔ antagonist
Tall and strongly built, matching his twin brother Nardo in size and strength. His features might be handsome but carry a hint of cunning or arrogance.
Attire: Wears rich, ostentatious princely attire, perhaps favoring darker or more striking colors to assert dominance. His clothes would be made of luxurious fabrics, possibly with more elaborate or showy embellishments than Nardo's.
Wants: To gain power (become king) and possess the Princess, regardless of her feelings. He desires wealth and status.
Flaw: His greed and selfishness lead him to betray others and ultimately to his own downfall and imprisonment.
Starts as a selfish prince who actively works against his brother to gain power and love. He succeeds temporarily but is then betrayed by his accomplice and imprisoned. He eventually reforms, becoming a better man, though the details of his transformation are not explicitly shown.
Greedy, selfish, cunning, treacherous, and ambitious. He is quick to forget promises.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young adult prince of noble European descent, standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has neatly styled dark brown hair, sharp dark eyes, and fair skin. He wears a rich, dark crimson velvet tunic with gold embroidery, tailored black breeches, and tall black leather riding boots. A large, ornate silver ring with a prominent red stone is on his finger. He has a cunning, slightly arrogant expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Princess ◆ supporting
Described as 'beautiful.' Likely slender and graceful, with delicate features befitting a royal.
Attire: Wears elegant, flowing gowns made of fine silks or brocades in soft, regal colors like pale blue, rose, or ivory. Her dresses would be modest but fashionable for a princess of her era, possibly with delicate lace or pearl embellishments. She might wear a simple circlet or ribbon in her hair.
Wants: To regain Nardo's love and understand why he changed. She desires true love and happiness.
Flaw: Initially unaware of the magical forces at play, making her feel helpless and sorrowful. She is also drawn to Stephen against her will due to the spell.
Starts as a happy princess in love, then becomes sorrowful and confused by Nardo's sudden indifference. She shows kindness to a nightingale, which leads to the fairy's intervention. She learns the truth and actively participates in the plan to break the spell, ultimately reuniting with Nardo and finding happiness.
Loving, kind, sorrowful (due to Nardo's change), observant, compassionate (to the nightingale), and hopeful.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young adult princess of noble European descent, standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has long, wavy golden blonde hair flowing down her back, large expressive blue eyes, and fair skin with a delicate complexion. She wears a flowing gown of pale blue silk with delicate silver embroidery along the neckline and sleeves. Her hands are clasped gently in front of her. She has a gentle, slightly wistful expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Old Beggar Man ○ minor
An old man, likely frail and weathered from a life of hardship, with a humble appearance.
Attire: Wears simple, patched, and worn clothing typical of a beggar, likely made of coarse wool or linen in muted, earthy tones. He might carry a staff.
Wants: To find kindness and reward it, or perhaps to test the character of the princes.
Flaw: His physical vulnerability as an old man, requiring assistance.
Appears briefly to test the princes and bestow a magical gift upon Nardo, then disappears from the narrative, his role fulfilled.
Wise, grateful, and possesses magical abilities. He is observant of character.
Image Prompt & Upload
An elderly beggar man, standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a deeply wrinkled face, kind brown eyes, and a long, sparse white beard and hair. He wears a patched, faded brown wool tunic, loose grey linen trousers, and worn leather sandals. He leans slightly on a gnarled wooden staff. He has a gentle, wise expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Old Witch ⚔ antagonist
Described with 'lean fingers.' Likely gaunt, hunched, and possibly disheveled, with a menacing presence.
Attire: Wears dark, tattered robes made of coarse, heavy fabric, possibly adorned with strange charms or bones. Her clothing would be practical for living in a cave but also convey a sense of malevolence.
Wants: To gain wealth (gold) and exercise her magical power.
Flaw: Her greed, which makes her susceptible to Stephen's promises, and her vengeful nature, which leads her to turn on Stephen.
Acts as an agent for Stephen, casting a spell on Nardo for gold. When Stephen betrays her, she turns her magic against him, imprisoning him. She remains a force of evil, though her direct influence on the main plot ends with Stephen's capture.
Greedy, wicked, vengeful (when betrayed), and manipulative.
Image Prompt & Upload
An elderly witch, standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has a gaunt, sharp face with a hooked nose, piercing dark eyes, and long, wild grey hair. She wears dark, tattered, heavy wool robes that obscure her form, possibly with a few strange charms hanging from them. Her fingers are long and bony. She has a malevolent, cunning expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Fairy / Nightingale ◆ supporting
As a nightingale: a small, delicate bird. As a fairy: tiny, ethereal, and radiant.
Attire: As a fairy: implied to wear shimmering, ethereal garments, perhaps like a tiny, delicate gown of moonlight or flower petals. As a nightingale: natural bird plumage.
Wants: To repay the Princess's kindness and regain her fairy form, then to help the Princess find happiness.
Flaw: Powerless to use magic until midnight, and cannot reclaim her fairy form if imperfect.
Starts as a trapped nightingale, is rescued by the Princess, transforms into a fairy, and then dedicates herself to helping the Princess. She temporarily transforms back into a nightingale to complete her mission, fulfilling her purpose and earning her Queen's favor.
Grateful, kind, determined, wise, and loyal to her Queen.
Image Prompt & Upload
A tiny, ethereal fairy with translucent wings, standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has a delicate, beautiful face with large, shimmering eyes and long, flowing silver hair that seems to glow. She wears a tiny, iridescent gown that appears woven from moonlight. She has a kind, determined expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Dragon ○ minor
A large, formidable creature with wide-open eyes, implying a powerful and vigilant guard. Likely scaly, with a robust build.
Attire: None, as a creature.
Wants: To guard Stephen as commanded by the witch.
Flaw: Susceptible to the soothing power of the nightingale's song, leading it to fall asleep.
Introduced as an obstacle, then overcome by the nightingale's song, allowing Stephen to be robbed of the magical stone. It remains chained to the rock.
Vigilant, easily soothed by beautiful music, and obedient to the witch.
Image Prompt & Upload
A large, powerful dragon with emerald green scales, lying coiled on a rock, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. It has a reptilian head with sharp teeth and two prominent horns, and wide, unblinking golden eyes. Its body is muscular and covered in overlapping scales. It has large, leathery wings folded against its back. It has a vigilant, watchful expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
The King's Palace Gates
The grand entrance to the royal palace, likely made of heavy wood or wrought iron, where visitors and petitioners would arrive. It is a place of initial judgment and interaction.
Mood: formal, bustling, initially unwelcoming due to Stephen's command
The beggar man arrives, and Nardo shows kindness, receiving the magic ring.
Image Prompt & Upload
A grand, ornate palace gate, possibly of carved dark wood with heavy iron fittings, set into a high, smooth stone wall. Sunlight casts long shadows from the gate's decorative elements onto the cobblestone approach. Beyond the gate, a glimpse of a manicured courtyard can be seen. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Princess's Window
A window in the Princess's chambers, likely overlooking a garden or the palace grounds, where she often sits and gazes out, filled with sorrow. It's a place of quiet contemplation and unexpected magic.
Mood: melancholy, hopeful, magical
The Princess rescues the nightingale, which transforms into a fairy, initiating the plan to break Nardo's spell.
Image Prompt & Upload
A tall, arched window of a European-style palace, possibly with delicate leaded glass panes, opening onto a moonlit night. A sturdy, ancient oak tree with dark, gnarled branches is visible just outside, its leaves silhouetted against the bright full moon. The window sill is smooth stone, catching the cool blue light. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Witch's Cave by the Sea
A dark, foreboding cave located by the sea, serving as the witch's lair. It's a place of dark magic, imprisonment, and danger, guarded by a dragon.
Mood: eerie, dangerous, desolate, wild
Stephen is chained here, guarded by a dragon. The nightingale lulls the dragon to sleep and retrieves the magic stone.
Image Prompt & Upload
A jagged, dark cave mouth opens directly onto a rocky, windswept coastline. The sea crashes against the rocks, sending spray into the air under a dark, starless sky. Inside the cave, a rough-hewn stone pillar or large boulder is visible, with heavy iron chains attached. A massive, scaly dragon lies coiled near the entrance. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Nardo's Bedroom
Nardo's private sleeping chambers within the palace, a place of vulnerability where he is under the witch's spell. It's where the magic stone is returned to him.
Mood: peaceful, quiet, soon to be awakened
The nightingale flies in through the window and places the magic stone into Nardo's open hand, breaking the spell.
Image Prompt & Upload
A spacious, richly appointed bedroom in a European palace. A large, four-poster bed with heavy drapes dominates the center, with a silk-covered pillow where a hand rests. A tall, arched window is slightly ajar, allowing the faint pre-dawn light to filter in, casting soft shadows across the polished wooden floor. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
