Long-Lost Daughter

Long-Lost Daughter
© Surazeus
2025 01 03

Twirling with delight among apple trees, 
Gretta whistles tunes to imitate birds 
that flutter wings as they leap into clouds, 
then fills baskets in her cart with ripe fruit 
that gleam in sunlight on the dusty road 
as she pushes it back to the stone castle. 

After leaving apple cart in the kitchen, 
Gretta peeks into the large castle court 
to listen while her father on Law Throne 
renders fair judgments to settle disputes, 
then skips up winding stairs to tower room 
full of birds, squirrels, chipmunks, frogs, and mice. 

While writing poetry on parchment scroll, 
Gretta sees the jar is empty of ink, 
so she sticks raven feather in her hair 
and hurries down to the royal bedroom 
to ask her stepmother for writing ink, 
but pauses when she hears sharp cry of pain. 

"Mirror on the wall of my desperate hope, 
your shards cut my hand when I punched your lie 
that shows my face is wrinkling with old age, 
and beauty I employed to trap his heart, 
when I tricked him to poison his first wife, 
is fading with glamor of his desire." 

Gasping at confession of bitter words, 
Gretta realizes with shock of fear 
that her mother died not from some disease, 
but was murdered by this ambitious woman, 
so she turns to tell her father the news 
but pauses when she hears her name abused. 

"Gretta, that ugly bitch with snow white skin, 
is now more fair than me as she matures, 
so before she learns how I killed her mother 
I must kill her so my son with the king 
may inherit crown of authority 
before she kills me in lawful revenge." 

Trembling with terror at tone of her voice, 
Gretta runs to her room and packs her things, 
then quickly escapes imprisoning castle 
and flees in pine forest to secret cave 
where she hides from hunters the cruel queen sends, 
disguising her pretty face with mud smears. 

One day while gathering mushrooms and berries, 
Gretta meets the skilled boar-hunter Johan 
who woos her with songs he plays on the lute, 
so they marry in lake town where he lives, 
and she bears seven sons who mine for gold 
to sell the old king in castle of stone. 

Wearing plain gown with floral coronet, 
Gretta and Johan with their seven sons 
join holiday banquet in castle court, 
but as they bow before King Wenceslaus 
he jumps to his feet and stares at her face, 
then hugs her tight as he weeps with great joy. 

While his husband and sons, and everyone 
gathered in court, stare in astonishment, 
the old king wipes tears from his eyes, and cries, 
"I rejoice to find you alive, my daughter, 
because Grimhilde told me you were kidnapped 
and killed by robbers when you tried to flee." 

Caressing old wrinkled face, Gretta frowns, 
"I heard Grimhilde confess in her own words 
that she poisoned my mother Katharina 
to steal her role as queen of your domain, 
so I fled to escape blade of her hate, 
and live now happy with my seven sons." 

Ordering soldiers to arrest the queen, 
King Wenceslaus invites his long-lost daughter 
with her surprised husband and seven sons 
to sit beside him in the banquet hall, 
then listens as she tells him of her life 
while her boys play chase in the feasting hall.