This is a story about a very special love. There was a young girl named Philomena. She was happy and carefree. But quite lonely, for she was ignorant of the joys of love. One day when she was out walking in the woods, she found a lone tree that stood away from the rest. Now this tree was different from all the others, it was tall and very thin. And it was so sad, and dying because no one loved it. Philomena thought how beautiful the tree was, even in its suffering. There was something special about it. Every day for a month and a half Philomena visited the tree. She brought flowers to lay at its trunk. And she talked to the tree, and sang to the tree, and played her harp for the tree. Soon the tree began to lift its weary limbs. The tree started to look to the sky with happiness. Then, on a cold December day, when Philomena came to see the tree, an incredible thing happened. By the will of nature, now strong with life, the tree’s branches reached out to the girl and caressed her cheek. She was so amazed and moved with emotion that she hugged the tree and closed her eyes and kissed it. And when she opened her eyes it was to stare into a pair of deep brown eyes, looking intently at her own light blue. The tree had transformed into the body of a man, reflecting the tree’s own image in long, rather fragile arms and legs, bending with the wind. The man was dressed in a black velvet cloak and plumed hat. He bore on his smallest finger a gold signet ring, which showed he was a prince. He immediately professed his fathomless love for the one who had broken the curse of sadness in which he was bound. The prince kissed Philomena and swept her away to tell the world of his undying love. He gave her a long white dress and made her his queen. They were prince Tomas and Queen Philomena. The girl is a woman now and they live in a grand stone castle in a lost forest. The winters are frosty and the snow falls and turns their forest white. In the spring their garden blooms with a phantasm of color from their tremendous variety of flowers. And every tree in the glade is happy and well loved. And the prince and his queen are the happiest couple on earth, for their love bloomed from kindness.