Sky Blue

In a small kingdom far away lived a beautiful princess named Sky Blue. She lived with her father and stepmother in a castle. Sky Blue’s stepmother was beautiful to look at, but evil underneath. She hated Sky Blue, because she was beautiful inside and out. Also, Sky Blue was loved by all the people in the kingdom.

Each morning the stepmother would look in her magic mirror and ask the same question, “Who is the most beautiful woman in the kingdom?” The answer was always the same— “Sky Blue.”

The stepmother was furious. She paid a man to kidnap Sky Blue and take her deep into the forest and leave her there. The man drove her deep into the forest, but he didn’t want to leave her alone. So he took her instead to the house of seven kind lumberjacks. The lumberjacks promised to take care of her.

All went well until the stepmother discovered Sky Blue was still alive. She disguised herself as a door-to-door saleswoman and went to the home of the lumberjacks. Sky Blue, being as kind as she was, invited the saleswoman to lunch. The stepmother put poison in Sky Blue’s drink. Immediately upon sipping the drink, Sky Blue fell into a deep sleep. The lumberjacks came home to find her still asleep. They couldn’t wake her. They put her body in a glass box in the forest and opened it toward the sun.

A visiting prince heard of the beautiful princess. He went to look upon her beauty that very day. He kissed her lips, and she sighed with relief. Sky Blue sat up, reached for the prince, and together they rode off into the sunset.