The Legend of the Bleeding-heart

In a whispering forest where even the trees seem to talk, a solitary flax‑spinner lives a humble life, cradling an orphan girl named Olga in her modest cottage. The old woman’s quiet generosity—spinning red‑stained beads from drops of her own heart’s blood to keep the child humbled and grateful—creates a bond that steadies the forest’s skeptical oak and fills the woods with gentle tales of kindness.

As Olga blossoms into a graceful young woman, her daily chores bring her to a shimmering spring where she encounters a weary prince on a hunting expedition. Her simple act of offering water, caught in her delicate hands, captures his attention and earns an invitation to the royal court’s lavish balls. Though thrilled, Olga worries about presenting herself in her plain, homespun attire among the kingdom’s finest, trusting her foster‑mother’s promise that she will be welcomed despite her modest means.