Once upon a time, there were two sisters. They lived together in a large castle, and they couldn't have been more different. The eldest, who loved stories, had long black hair to her knees. The youngest, who hated any story her sister enjoyed and loved animals, had short blonde hair that came to her shoulders. Altough they were small differences, because of them the two sisters fought, and there could be no peace in the kingdom.
The king and queen were desperate. "Come one, come all!" they cried. "A grand prize is yours if you can stop the princesses from fighting!"
Just what the prize was, nobody knew. But oh, did everybody come! Princes, princesses, knights, and ladies, even servants came, but nothing they thought of could stop the sisters from fighting. Finally, a wise old witch came to the castle. By this point, the king and queen had nearly given up on there ever being peace in the kingdom, and so they welcomed the old woman.
"The solution is simple, your highnesses," she stated. "Put the eldest in the south tower, and put the youngest in the north tower. Let them see no one else until they agree to have peace." The king and his wife were very unsure how or even if this plan would work, but they tried it anyway.
Weeks passed, but the sisters refused to relent. "We're too different," they claimed. Finally the queen went back to the old witch.
"They say they cannot get along if they see each other," she told her. "The plan isn't working, what are we to do?"
The old witch grinned. "My dear queen," she said. "This was only half the plan."
"But what is the other half?" begged the queen.
The witch pulled out two copies of the same book, each with a lion pictured on the front. "These are the same," she said. "In every way. The sisters refuse to read the same book, so here is what you shall do."
"What, what?" asked the queen.
"Give one to the oldest. Tell her the youngest read it and hated it."
"And the other?"
"Give that to the youngest. Tell her the oldest read it and threw it away."
"And then?" said the queen.
"When they have each finished their book, send them to me."
The queen was puzzled, but she agreed.
It took the sisters the same amount of time to read their copy of the book, and once they had finished, the ueen obeyed the command and brought the two sisters to meet with the witch.
"My princesses," began the witch. "I gave your mother two copies of the same boo, and had one sent to each of you. I know you both finished, and I only have one question. Answer at once, it will save us time. I am an old woman with not much left. Here is the question - simply state what you think was the best part."
"The best part was when the lion swam across the ocean to be with his bride once more," said the sisters together. After speaking they looked at each other in amazement.
"See?" said the witch. "You do have things in common, you just have to find them."
The sisters again looked at each other and began to talk about their hobbies and what they had done while locked away in their towers. As they left the room with linked arms and smiles on their faces, the queen came in, quite confused.
"How did you know that would work?" she asked the old witch.
The woman winked. "I didn't know for sure it would, my queen, but there was nothing left to try. What is my reward?"
Nw, up till now there hadn't truly been a reward, but the queen couldn't say that. "What would you like?" she asked.
"A home, to live out the rest of my days," the woman said. And that's what she got.
As for the sisters, they still fought. Just not all the time.
But the kingdom had peace.
