Once upon a time, a single drop of sunlight fell from the heavens. From it, a magical flower bloomed that had the power to heal the sick and frail¹.

 

One day, an old woman named Mother Gothel was singing softly to herself during one of her walks along a craggy hillside. She looked down and discovered the Golden Flower.

 

Just as she was about to pluck the flower from the ground, she noticed that it was glowing. As she kept singing, Mother Gothel's brittle² voice became strong and clear. Her old bones didn't seem to ache anymore. She looked at her shriveled hands and saw that all her wrinkles were gone. Suddenly, she was young again, and her eyes widened with selfish delight!

 

Right then and there, Mother Gothel decided³ to leave the flower where it was, so that she could continue to use its power. It was a secret she kept all to herself. For centuries, she lived contentedly⁴, singing to the flower each day, making it glow with the magic that kept her young and beautiful. And because of her covetous⁵ protection of the flower, no one else benefited from the blossom's healing gifts.

 

Over time, a small but happy kingdom flourished nearby. The beautiful kingdom was surrounded by sparkling blue water, its gentle waves dappled by sunlit skies, and the island itself was rich both in good fortune and in an easy harmony among its people. Though the people of the kingdom had heard the legend of the Golden Flower, no one had ever seen it. It was the stuff of stories told around fires on cold winter nights; the truth was, they had never really needed the flower.

 

The people of the kingdom had recently become especially joyful⁶, as there was news that the Queen was to have a child. But all too soon, the kingdom's happiness came to an abrupt⁷ end. Word spread that the Queen was gravely ill. There seemed to be nothing that could help her.

 

Or was there? Perhaps the Golden Flower was more than merely an old legend.

 

Willing to try anything to save her, the people launched a search throughout the kingdom and all the surrounding lands. They combed the hills and fields, mountains and valleys. They even crossed the clear blue water to explore the stark⁸ and rocky terrain⁹ on the opposite shore.

 

Mother Gothel, who had kept herself and the flower isolated¹⁰ from the people in the kingdom, was singing to the Golden Flower, as she did every day, when she spotted¹¹ some strangers in the distance. They were searching every square inch of the land. My flower! Mother Gothel thought selfishly. They mustn't find it. It belongs to me! But Mother Gothel was wrong. The magical flower did not belong to her. And there was nothing she could do to stop others from benefiting from its healing powers.

 

Mother Gothel began to panic. Quickly, she hid and watched as the strangers moved closer to the rocky ledge¹² where the Golden Flower grew.

 

"We found it! We found it!" the strangers shouted at last.

 

Mother Gothel watched, horrified¹³, as a palace guard uprooted¹⁴ the flower and carried it off. In a panic, she followed the strangers as they bore the precious flower to the castle. She stayed hidden, hoping to come up with a scheme to get the Golden Flower back.

 

But it was too late. The flower was made into a potion and fed to the ailing¹⁵ Queen. Its magic worked, and the Queen recovered! The King and all the people in the land rejoiced.

 

Soon afterward¹⁶, the King and Queen stood on their royal balcony, holding the newborn Princess. She was a darling baby, with her mother's emerald-green eyes, and curly golden hair that gleamed in the sunlight. The palace courtyard was filled with the cheers of the kingdom's people as they saw their tiny princess for the first time.

 

But Mother Gothel, watching from the shadows, did not cheer. Without the magic of the Golden Flower, she was growing older by the day. Seething¹⁷ with anger, she waited.

 

As the day faded into night, the King and Queen launched a single glowing lantern into the night sky to celebrate their princess's birth.

 

All their love and hopes for the Princess's happiness were contained in the lantern. The crowd watched joyfully¹⁸ as the glowing lantern rose to the heavens.

 

But the King and Queen's happiness was short-lived. For later that night, as the kingdom slept, a vengeful Mother Gothel crept into the royal nursery and approached the Princess's cradle. Swiftly she thrust her hand toward the child — but suddenly stopped. The lovely golden curls of the infant entranced Mother Gothel. Compelled to gently stroke the baby's hair, she quietly began to sing, as she had done so many times with the flower.

 

Most unexpectedly, the child's hair began to glow! Mother Gothel watched in shock, then delight, as her withered¹⁹ old hand became young again. The healing power of the Golden Flower lived on in the golden hair of the little Princess!

 

Mother Gothel cut a piece of the Princess's hair and gazed at it as it lay in her hand. Now she could take it with her and use it anytime she liked.

 

But that was not to be. Mother Gothel watched as the light hair in her hand turned dark brown. She looked at the back of the Princess's neck. There was a short brown tuft where the golden hair had been cut. Mother Gothel was furious! She realized that the magic only worked if she sang and stroked the hair on the Princess's head!

 

There was only one thing to do. She would have to steal the baby ... and keep her hidden from the rest of the world forever.

 

很久以前，一抹阳光从天堂落下。一朵神奇的鲜花从中开放，这朵鲜花具有治愈疾病和虚弱的力量。

 

一天，一个名为高瑟妈妈的老妇人轻轻哼着歌走在崎岖的山坡小路上。她朝下看了看，发现了一朵金色的鲜花。

 

正当她要从地上采摘这朵鲜花的时候，她发现这朵花闪闪发光。她继续唱着歌，尖厉的声音变得响亮而清晰。她的老骨头似乎不再疼痛。她看着自己干枯的手，发现所有的皱纹都不见了。忽然，她恢复了年轻。她的眼睛睁得大大的，流露出饱含私心的喜悦！

 

就在那时，高瑟妈妈决定将花朵留在原地，以便她可以继续利用它的魔力。这是她保守的一个秘密。几个世纪以来，她过得心满意足，每天对着花朵歌唱，使花朵发出神奇之光，使她变得年轻而美丽。因为她对花朵贪婪的保护，没有其他人可以得益于花朵赋予的治愈功效。

 

渐渐地，附近有一个很小但很快乐的王国兴盛起来。这个美丽的王国被闪闪发光的湛蓝湖水包围，阳光下的湖面波光粼粼。这是一座富裕的岛屿，岛上人们过着轻松而和谐的生活。虽然王国里的人们听说过金色花朵的传说，但是从来没有人见过花朵。这是寒冷的冬夜火炉边的故事；事实上，他们从来就没有真正地需要这朵花。

 

近来，王国里的民众变得特别开心，因为有消息说皇后要生孩子了。但是很快，王国的欢乐气氛戛然而止。有传闻说皇后得了重病。似乎没有什么可以帮助她恢复健康的办法。

 

或许有？也许金色花朵不仅仅是一个古老的传说。

 

人们为救皇后愿意尝试一切，他们发起了一场覆盖全国和所有周边地区的大搜寻。他们搜查了丘陵和田野，高山和峡谷。他们甚至还穿过了清澈的蓝色湖面，去探索对岸荒芜的岩石地带。

 

高瑟妈妈将花朵据为己有，不让王国里的人们知道，她如往日一样，对着金色花朵唱歌；这时，她发现远处有一些陌生人。他们正在搜查每一寸土地。这是我的花！高瑟妈妈自私地想。一定不能让他们找到。它是属于我的！但是高瑟妈妈错了。这朵神奇的花不属于她。她无法阻止其他人受益于它的治愈力量。

 

高瑟妈妈开始不安。她很快躲了起来，看着那些陌生人走近布满石块的礁沿——金色花朵生长的地方。

 

“我们找到它了！我们找到它了！” 最终，陌生人叫喊道。

 

当宫殿的卫兵将花朵挖出土运走的时候，高瑟妈妈恐惧地望着这一切。她不安地尾随着将这珍贵的花朵送往城堡的陌生人。她一路躲躲藏藏，希望能想出把金色花朵拿回来的计谋。

 

但一切都太晚了。花朵被做成了药剂，喂给了生病的皇后。它的神奇力量发挥了作用，皇后恢复了健康！国王和王国里所有民众欢欣庆祝。

 

不久以后，国王和皇后抱着刚出生的公主，站在了皇宫的阳台上。她是一个可人的婴儿，有着和她妈妈一样碧绿的眼睛，她那金色的鬈发在阳光下闪着微光。当王国的人们第一次看见他们的小公主的时候，宫殿的庭院里充满了他们的欢呼。

 

但是，在阴暗处望着这一切的高瑟妈妈没有欢呼。失去了金色花朵的神奇魔力后，她每天都在变老。她满腔怒火地等待着。

 

夜幕降临后，国王和皇后往夜空放飞了一盏发光的天灯以庆祝公主的诞生。

 

他们对公主的爱和对公主拥有快乐的祈望都寄托在这盏天灯上。人群欢乐地观看着光亮的天灯升到天空。

 

但是国王和皇后的快乐很短暂。那天晚些时间，当整个王国沉睡的时候，心存报复的高瑟妈妈爬进了皇室婴儿房，接近公主的摇篮。她快速地将手伸向婴儿——但忽然停住了。这个婴儿漂亮的金色鬈发让高瑟妈妈着迷。她不由自主地轻抚婴儿的头发，轻轻地开始歌唱，就像她无数次对着花朵歌唱一样。

 

最出乎意料的是，婴儿的头发开始闪闪发光！高瑟妈妈震惊又转而欢喜地看着她那苍老的手再次恢复了年轻。金色花朵的治愈力量存在于小公主的金发中！

 

高瑟妈妈剪下一缕公主的头发，将其放在手中，凝视着。现在她可以将这缕头发带走，随时利用它。

 

但事与愿违。高瑟妈妈看着手中的浅色头发变成深棕色。她看了看公主脖子后面。在金色头发被剪掉的地方有一短簇棕发。高瑟妈妈很生气！她意识到只有当她唱歌并且轻抚公主头上的头发时，魔力才起效！

 

只有一个办法了。她只能偷走婴儿……并且永远将她藏在外界找不到的地方。

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