“The Love of a Dove: A Timeless Albanian Fairytale of Magic and Devotion”

“Discover the enchanting story of a princess and her journey to reunite with her mysterious dove, filled with love, loyalty, and magic.

Once upon a time, there was a king who had only one daughter. She spent her days knitting, lost in her own world. She had no friends, never left the palace, and sat in her room all day working on her embroidery. Her mother would often say, “My dear child, why don’t you get married? We can find you a handsome prince or a young nobleman.” But the princess always refused, saying no to every proposal.

One day, as she sat alone in her room embroidering, a dove flew in through the window. The bird fluttered around her embroidery frame, catching her attention. She gently took it into her hands, but then let it go, only to take it back and stroke it again. The dove brought her such joy that she couldn’t stop smiling. After a while, the dove spoke, asking her, “Do you love me?” and the princess replied, “Yes, I do.” The dove then said, “If you truly love me, put out a bowl of milk tomorrow, and you will see what a handsome man I am.” With that, it flew away.

The next morning, the princess asked a shepherd to bring her a pail of fresh milk. She poured it into a bowl and waited for the dove. When it returned and saw the milk, the dove dove into the bowl, shedding its feathers, and emerged as a young man more handsome than anyone she had ever seen. Overcome with love, the princess embraced him, kissing him deeply. But the young man stopped her, saying, “Wait, listen to my conditions first. Only then can you kiss me.” She sat down, and he continued, “First, you must never reveal my true form to your parents. Second, you must wait three years for me to return. If you tell anyone, I will not come back.” The princess promised to honor his conditions, and they exchanged rings before he dove back into the milk and flew away as a dove once again.

From that day onward, the young man visited her daily as a dove, showing her love and affection before flying off. Two years passed like this, with the princess keeping her secret. But her mother, the queen, became more persistent each day, urging her to marry. The princess resisted, but as time went on, she could no longer bear the pressure. One day, she blurted out the secret to her mother, saying, “Leave me alone, mother. I am already married to a man who is more handsome than anyone on earth!”

After that, the dove stopped coming. She waited day after day, but he never returned. Her heart grew heavier with each passing day, until she could stand it no longer. She wept bitterly and begged her father, “I want my dove! If I don’t have him, I will die of sorrow!” Her father tried to console her, offering noble suitors and princes, but the princess refused. “No! It’s him or no one! Have three pairs of iron shoes and three walking canes made for me. I will leave in search of him and won’t stop until I find him.”

Realizing they had no other choice, the king and queen fulfilled her wish. They had the shoes and canes made, and with them in hand, the princess set off on her journey. For three long years, she wandered the world, asking everyone she met about the dove, but no one had seen or heard of him. Weary and heartbroken, she eventually returned home.

Upon her return, the king had the entire palace painted black, a sign of mourning for their daughter’s sorrow. Sunburnt and frail from her journey, the princess locked herself in her room, refusing to speak with anyone. When her father knocked, she opened the door and said, “Father, build a large bathhouse, and announce that everyone in the kingdom—rich or poor—may come to bathe, but each person must tell me a story to help ease my sorrow.” The king did as she asked, and soon, people from far and wide came to bathe and tell the princess their tales.

In the city, there lived an old woman and her daughter. One day, the daughter asked her mother for permission to go to the bathhouse and tell the princess a story. The old woman was hesitant at first because they were so poor, but the daughter insisted. Finally, the mother agreed. Before leaving, the girl filled a jug with water from the village fountain to ensure her mother had enough while she was gone.

At the fountain, a strange sight caught her eye—a rooster wearing wooden shoes! Curious, the girl followed the rooster to a garden, where she saw it gathering fruits and vegetables. Intrigued, she followed it back to a house, where she slipped inside and hid in a corner.

In the middle of the room stood a large vat of milk. Suddenly, eleven doves flew into the room, dove into the milk, shed their feathers, and transformed into young men as beautiful as angels. A twelfth dove flew in afterward but did not enter the milk. Instead, it perched on the edge of the vat. The young men spoke to the twelfth dove: “If you were married, you could join us, but your wife revealed your secret, so you can no longer transform into a man.” The twelfth dove replied, “Yes, my wife revealed my secret, and I have caused her endless sorrow. Her palace is painted black, and her heart is blackened with grief as she searches for me.”

Hearing this, the girl quickly left the house, abandoning her water jug, and ran to the princess, eager to share what she had seen. When she arrived, she had to wait until the next morning to see the princess. Once granted an audience, she shared her story. The princess, upon hearing it, was filled with hope and said, “Thank you, my child. Now take me to that house.”

The girl led the way, and the princess followed. When they reached the house, the princess hid behind the door, waiting for the doves. Soon, the eleven doves arrived, transformed into young men, and the twelfth dove perched on the vat. As the other young men teased him, the princess leapt out from her hiding spot, embraced the dove, and in that moment, it transformed into the handsome man she loved.

The two were reunited, and they were married, living happily ever after.

@Fusionistachic