The Princess Bird

An Old Aztec Story

Many boys and girls have wished to be princes or princesses, so that they might have wonderful times and wear crowns, but not many of them ever wished that they could be birds. Yet there was once a princess who became a bird – a beautiful bird, like those rednecked and white-necked ones we often see hopping about in the fig tree. At any rate, that is the way the story goes.

It all happened many hundreds of years ago, when the Maya and the Aztec Indians lived in the land of Mexico, and when there really were kings and queens and other great people like them.

But in the land of Uxmal there was great sorrow, for their kind King Copano had become blind. His wife, Queen Teo, tried many many remedies and used many medicines, but none of them did him any good. She called many doctors, but not one of them could restore his sight.

At last in despair the Queen sent word throughout the land that help was wanted. She promised that whoever could cure him would be given anything that he might ask, if it was possible to give it. In order to make everyone be­lieve in the Queen’s promise and want to do something, the King put his great seal on the proclamation, and swift run­ners went everywhere telling the news.

Many people came from far and near, and they tried many remedies, but still King Copano remained blind. Nothing that any of the strangers suggested seemed to help him.

One day while Queen Teo was walking in the palace grounds with the little Princess Tula and wondering what to do next, she met a large dog. She was about to walk on without looking at him, when to her great surprise he spoke to her.

“I have heard of King Copano’s blindness,” he said, “and I know a remedy that will cure him.”

“Oh, please tell me what your remedy is,” begged Queen Teo. “I will give you anything if he is cured.”

“Will you give me the hand of the Princess Tula in marriage?” asked the dog.

This shocked the Queen, but so anxious was she to have the King see again that she replied, “I will, as soon as she is old enough to marry.”

“Then listen closely and do exactly as I say,” cautioned the dog. “Turn around and go back to the palace. Every time you take a step with your right foot, pull up any flower or plant that you step on. Place all these in a pot and boil them in water two hours. Rub the water on the king’s eyes once each day for fifteen days. On the fifteenth day he will see again.”

The Queen thanked the dog and did exactly as he had told her to do. She watched the King’s eyes every day, and on the fifteenth day, sure enough, his sight was restored completely. The King and Queen were very happy, and the people of Uxmal were happy too.

The years passed, and the Princess Tula grew into a beautiful lady. One night she and her friends were making merry. The palace was brightly lighted, and there was music and dancing in the patio. A large brown dog came up and stood watching the scene. One of the servants tried to make him leave, but he refused to go and asked to see the Queen.

When at last Queen Teo stood before the dog, she knew he was the one that had given her the cure for the King’s eyes fifteen years before.

“I have come for my reward,” said he.

The Queen told him that it was not possible to do as he asked and ordered him to leave. He refused to go, though, even when the servants beat him with sticks.

Finally the King heard the noise and came to see what was wrong. The Queen now told him for the first time the story of how he had been cured and the promise she had made.

When he heard the story he said, “We have given our solemn promise, and the word of the King and Queen must not be broken. Call Princess Tula.”

When the beautiful Princess Tula came, she too was told the story, and she remembered it and agreed that the marriage should take place at once.

The poor Queen was grief-stricken at the thought of such a terrible thing, but there was nothing else to do except carry out the King’s command. The Princess did not know of anything else to do but obey. She began to prepare for the ceremony.

It was indeed a strange wedding. The Princess, dressed in a long trailing gown, leaned on the arm of the King as they marched down the aisle to the altar. The solemn padre read the ceremony, and the dog-groom took a ring in his paw and placed it on the finger of the Princess.

As the last words of the ceremony were said, a wonderful thing happened. The dog stood up on his hind legs and shook himself. Off fell his skin as though it had been a robe, and lo! a handsome Prince stood there. We may be sure that as soon as the Princess saw him she made no objection when he turned and kissed her. Then he seized the old skin that had fallen to the floor, and before the crowd could understand what had happened, he and the Princess had run out of the church and were off on their honeymoon.

The Princess was very happy when two weeks later she proudly brought back the handsome Prince Tezco to live at the palace. The king and queen were happy, too, for they had no son of their own. Now, with such a handsome Prince to rule the kingdom later, all would be well.

But alas! Their happiness did not last long. One day when the Queen was gathering up the clothes for the washwoman, she saw the robe that Prince Tezco had thrown off at the time of the wedding. Wishing to get rid of it and buy him a newer and better one, she burned it.

When Prince Tezco learned of this, he moaned, “Oh, what have you done? That robe protected me from a witch who once had me enchanted. As long as I had it she could not harm me, but now she can. In fifteen days she will come after me.”

Sure enough, in fifteen days, a hag­gard old witch rode her broomstick through the sky to the palace. Straight through its walls she came, as if noth­ing had been there, and she did not stop until she stood in front of the royal family.

“I have come for the Prince,” she croaked.

The Queen begged, and the Princess pleaded. The King offered the witch a house full of gold, and finally he offered her his palace. But to all these offers the old witch only gave a hollow laugh and said, “I have a palace and gold of my own. The Prince must come with me.”

So strongly did the Princess plead, though, that finally the old witch prom­ised to let her see him once each week. In order to do this, she had to turn him into a bird, so that he could fly from the home of the witch to the palace and back.

Thereafter each week the Princess went to the woods to seek her beloved Prince in the form of a bird. She always looked for one that had a red neck and a white bill, for she knew he was her Prince.

One day she decided to follow him and learn where he lived. Without let­ting him know what she had in mind, she asked him to fly high and slowly, so that she could see him longer. He did so, and she followed him.

After many hours of travel, she saw him fly into the huge home of the witch, deep in the forest. Then she boldly went up to him. In vain did he beg her to leave. He told her that she too would fall into the power of the old witch if she were found there, but she only shook her head.

“I will never leave you again,” she said.

When the old witch came out of the house, Princess Tula begged her to give her back her Prince, but this she would not do.

“Then,” said the Princess, “make me into a bird just like him, so that we may be together. Make his neck red and mine white.”

Her wish was granted, and they have been together ever since. Maybe they are happier than they would be if they were still humans. Who knows?

By J.A. Rickard

Illustration by William Brady