THE STORY OF PRINCESS MOUSE ( Finnish Folktale )

                                                 
 One fine morning a father was having breakfast with his two beloved sons. He told his young sons,'' My dear children, now you both are old enough to get married and according to our culture you should cut a tree and should go into the direction in which the tree falls to find your bride.

                                                 
"Alright father. As you wish." , the two brothers agreed. 
The elder brother already liked a girl and he made sure that the tree fell down in the direction of girl's home.
Younger  brother Mikko cut the tree and went the way the fallen tree pointed out. It was a lonely way which led him to the forest.   
There was a small house in the middle of the woods.He went inside but the house was empty.

                                             
Mikko became so sad , he sat down under a tree outside the house. 
"I am not going to find my bride...No one lives here.", he murmured.
"I live in this house, please don't loose heart, I will be  your bride.", Mikko heard a voice. He looked around but nobody was there. Mikko got a bit scared.
 
 "Hello, I am here." Oh! the voice was coming from the ground.
 The young man looked down and he saw a little mouse on the ground near his feet.
"I will be a very good wife ,please marry me'' , said the small mouse. 
"How can I marry a mouse ?", the amazed and surprised young man said. 
''Stay with me for some time , I am sure you will like me and will select me as your wife.'', said the little mouse.
Mikko felt pity for her, he smiled and said, ''Alright I will stay here for a while."
He stayed with the mouse , she sang a beautiful song for him. Mikko liked her a lot, she was so nice.

                                                                       

Mikko went back to his home, he didn't tell his father that he had met a mouse.
''Dear sons, I want to give a little test to your to be brides, they have to weave a fine linen cloth for me'' Mikko's father told his sons.
Next day Mikko went to the mouse and told her about the test. 
"Don't worry, believe me everything is going to be fine.", said the little mouse.
Mikko was tired he fell asleep. The mouse wove a beautiful linen cloth with the help of her mouse friends. She folded the cloth and  packed it in a nutshell.
Mikko got up, the little mouse gave him the nutshell and said'' I have woven the cloth, I hope your father will like it.'' Mikko took the shell and returned home.
When his father opened the shell he got amazed to see the yards of  fine, beautiful fabric. ''Your bride is such a wonderful weaver, I am lucky to have her as my daughter-in law.'' said the happy father.
Next morning Mikko visited the mouse and told her that today is the day of their marriage.
The little mouse climbed into a carriage which was pulled and driven by rats.
They reached home, everyone was astonished to see the mouse,''Look! Mikko's bride is mouse.''
''How can you marry a mouse?'', his brother shouted with anger. He threw the carriage into the river.
Mikko's eyes filled with tears, ''You killed my sweetheart, I can't live without her!", he cried.
And just then, a beautiful princess came out of the river along with four horses.

                                            
''A witch had cursed me and turned me into a mouse.'' ,she told Mikko and his family,''The curse could only end if my lover's brother would hate me.''
Everybody got so happy that Mikko's bride was not a mouse , she was a princess, and what about Mikko?
Well.... he was the happiest man on the earth.
He got married to the princess and they lived happily ever after. 
                                                                  
                                                                   (A folktale from Finland)
                                                                      Retold by- Aunt Mary