Miss Malin(Part1)

In ancient times, a king had a son who went to court the daughter of a powerful king. Her name was Miss Malin, and she was extraordinarily beautiful. The girl's father had promised her to another man, so he rejected the prince's request. However, they loved each other so much that they were unwilling to give up. Miss Malin told her father, “I neither want nor can accept anyone else as my husband.” The father became furious at his daughter's defiance and ordered the construction of a tall tower where neither moonlight nor sunlight could enter. When the tower was finished, he told his daughter, "You will stay in this tower for seven years, and then I will come to see if you have given up your pride and obstinacy." Then, all kinds of food and drink were stored in the tower for seven years, and the girl was sent there along with her maid, separated from the sky and the earth by tall walls.

The two lived in the darkness of the tower, illuminated by candlelight, unaware of the night and day. The prince walked around the tower every day, calling out the princess's name, but the thick walls prevented his voice from reaching inside. Yet, all he could do was sigh and lament his fate.

As time passed, with the supplies running out, they realized the seven years were coming to an end and thought that their time of liberation was near. However, there was not a sound of a hammer or a stone shifting. It seemed their father had forgotten them. They had only a short time left of supplies and anticipated a tragic end. Then Miss Malin said, “We must test our last chance and start breaking through the wall.” She picked up a nail file and began scratching the mortar of one of the stones. Whenever the princess got tired, the maid continued her work. They worked for a while until they managed to remove one of the stones. Then they got out the second stone, then the third, and finally, after three days of effort, the first rays of sunlight fell into the tower. Eventually, the opening became large enough for them to look outside. The sky was blue, and a cool breeze caressed their faces. However, they saw that everywhere was covered in dust and sorrow; the king's palace was in ruins, and as far as the eye could see, the city and villages were burned, fields devastated, and no living creature in sight. When the hole was big enough for them to crawl out, the maid went out first, followed by Miss Malin. But which way could they turn? Their enemies had ravaged the entire land; the king had fled, and the people were dead. They left their homeland and set off in search of another country, but they found neither shelter nor anyone willing to give them a piece of bread. They became so desperate that they relieved their hunger with the leaves of nettle bushes. After a long journey, they reached another country and sought work everywhere, but at every house they knocked on, they were turned away, and no one took pity on them. Eventually, they arrived in a large city and went to the king's palace, where they were also told to leave. However, the king's cook took pity on them and allowed them to stay to wash dishes for him.