The Sapphire Fruit

Chapter One

Chapter OneIn the Kingdom of Aires, there resided a seamstress named Melanie. She was respected by everyone in the village for the high quality of clothing she created. The dresses were splendid, but she wished to become the most excellent seamstress in all the land. She dreamed of creating marvelous garments that would bring customers from different parts of the world. One day, Melanie was outside picking apples from the tree. She climbed up and saw only a few on the branch. Melanie found one that was shriveled and brown and wondered if she would end up just like the rotten apple. Closing her eyes, Melanie said her wish out loud. As the seamstress said those words, an older woman overheard the request. She stopped and watched the girl as she threw the old apple to the ground. Melanie sat there looking at the other apples when her mother came out of the house and told her to head to the village to purchase more supplies for the store. The maiden climbed down from the tree and headed towards the gate. As soon as she walked out of the garden, she heard someone calling out.

“Is there anyone here, who would be so kind as to help an old woman carry this basket of corn?”

The maiden saw the woman struggling with a large basket filled to the brim with corn; some of them fell to the ground. “I will carry the basket for you,” Melanie said.

“Thank you so much.” The older woman smiled. “I am heading towards the market to sell them.”

“Then you are in luck; I am also heading there.”

The maiden untied her apron and wrapped the top of the basket to keep any more corn from dropping. Gripping the handles, she lifted it onto her back. It was a bit heavy for her, but Melanie managed to balance herself.

“My, you are very strong.”

“Thank you, but I am amazed that you were able to carry this by yourself.”

“I know. Oh, by the way, what is your name, dearie?”

“My name is Melanie.”

“Ah, such a lovely name for a lovely girl.”

Melanie smiled at the compliment. “Thank you, and what is your name?”

“Why do you want to know an old woman’s name?”

“It would be rude of me not to address you by your name.”

“You are a very polite girl, but my name is not as precious as yours.”

“That is not true. Every name is precious, especially when a mother cared about you.”

The woman smiled at Melanie and stared directly into her green eyes. “My, what a curious creature you are. Very well, if you insist, I am known as Alya.”

“Alya. That name is just as lovely as mine. I have never heard the name before. Where do you come from?”

“From a far place.” Alya winked. “But we should get going.”

Melanie nodded and followed her towards the village. Alya did most of the talking while Melanie listened politely. After some time, they climbed to the top of a hill and were able to see the entire village below. It was not as large as the others around the Kingdom, but it was big enough to have its own Lord. There were several shops, and a new blacksmith had arrived about two days earlier. Melanie and Alya entered the hectic market; everyone was buying as much as they could, for the day of frost was approaching. The entire village would gather to celebrate the coming of winter. Melanie told the woman that her mother had been selected to create the new tapestry for the event, and she was thrilled because she would be participating. Alya asked what the pattern was going to be, but Melanie and her mother had not thought of one. Alya pointed to a run-down stand at the far end of the market. Melanie thought it was strange that the stall would be this far, but she placed the basket on the ground. When she touched the table, it wobbled a bit. Melanie realized it would not be able to hold the heavy load, so she placed a few ears of corn on the stand.

“Thank you so much for your help,” Alya expressed in a delighted tone. “And if you can help me sell a few ears of corn, I will repay you.”

“Oh, that is not necessary. It was my pleasure,” Melanie answered. “However, I cannot help you sell the corn because I have to buy some things and—”

“Nonsense, my dear.” Alya held out three ears of corn to her. “You must help me.”

“I would love to, but I must buy my items before it gets late.”

“I understand, but could you at least help me sell these three ears of corn?”

She looked at them and nodded. Taking the corn from Alya, Melanie walked up to every person in the market, but no one was interested. As the sun began to set, Melanie returned to the older woman and saw that the whole basket was empty.

“How did you manage to sell all of the old corn?”

“Ah, my dear, it is a secret. But I see that you were not able to sell any of what I gave you.”

“Correct,” Melanie admitted with disappointment. “It seems that no one wants to buy them.”

“That is fine. You tried your best, and that is what matters. I thank you. Most people would have left, but you stayed until sunset, and for that, I will reward you.”

“Oh, you do not have to do that.”

“Poppycock!” She took out a large bag and rummaged around inside. After a while of digging, she found what she was looking for and held it to out Melanie. “I give you this fruit.”

Melanie gazed at the fruit that resembled three grapes. The color was a blue hue that sparkled like a gem in the sun. Melanie was shocked to see such an odd berry.

“Now, this is no ordinary fruit,” the older woman said. “This was created by my own hands with magic. When you bite into each of the three pieces, you will be granted one wish from each.”

“Three wishes? But this fruit is too beautiful to be eaten.”

“It is, but what would be the point of keeping it?”

“I thank you, but why would you give me something this precious when all I did was help you carry a basket? Also, I was not able to sell any of the corn.”

Melanie looked at Alya and noticed that she was changing from old to young. A glow came from Alya as she spoke. “I overheard your wish, so I wanted to test you. You showed kindness and tried to sell these old corns. You did not ask for anything in return, and I saw that you have a good heart.”

The light became so bright that Melanie covered her eyes. When it was safe to open them, she realized she was back in her garden. Melanie stood there wondering if it had been a dream. She felt something in her hand; she still held the fruit. Melanie remembered what Alya told her about the wishes, so she closed her eyes, thought for a moment, then ate one of the pieces. She did not feel anything; therefore, she decided to see if her wish had come true. Immediately, Melanie ran to her sewing room and began to work. An hour later, she gazed at a beautiful dress—it was magnificent. The fabric was soft and appeared as if it had never been touched. The colors were rich and went well with each other. Melanie called out to her mother, and she was surprised that her daughter had returned from the market. Entering the room, her mother examined the gown. She was astonished at what her daughter had made. She asked Melanie where she had found the fabric and how much it cost her. Melanie explained what happened that day, except she never said a word about Alya or the fruit.

* * *

A few months had passed, and Melanie continued to create beautiful garments. She became famous for the clothing, and for turning any cloth into a new fabric. One day, a young knight arrived at the village to visit the renowned seamstress to see if the stories were real. He saw that most of the women in town wore fabulous dresses. He stopped by a house and spotted an old man sitting in a wooden chair.

“Pardon me,” the knight said. “Where does the seamstress with the incredible gift to create beautiful garments dwell?”

“She lives up on the hill over there.” He pointed to a house.

The knight glanced in that direction and noticed the trees that surrounded it. He thanked the man and rode up the hill. When he got closer to the dwelling, he saw many people waiting to see the seamstress. He dismounted from his horse and made his way inside. He saw a woman behind the counter and asked her where the seamstress was; she told him that she was upstairs working and was not to be disturbed. He went outside and searched for a way to enter the second floor. As he rounded the back of the house, the knight noticed an apple tree close to a window. He climbed up, and when he reached the window, he saw the seamstress. Melanie ran from one side of the room to the other grabbing fabric and supplies. When she had everything she needed, she sat down and began to stitch. He observed her work and was astonished at the garment she was assembling. The knight silently climbed through the window and removed his helmet.

“Hello.” He spoke softly. “You must be the famous seamstress that everyone speaks so highly of.”

“What?” Melanie turned her head, surprised to see the young knight standing there. She rose, pointing at him with her scissors.

“I am sorry; I did not mean to startle you,” the knight responded as he held his hands in the air to show he meant her no harm.

Melanie saw that he spoke the truth, so she lowered the scissors. They stood there looking at each other as if in a trance, and it was love at first sight. He gazed at her sparkling green eyes, which complemented her long black hair and admired her beauty. Melanie looked at the knight and saw that he was light-skinned with reddish hair and green eyes like hers. The knight placed his helmet on a table and looked at the garments. He asked her how she was able to create them so quickly. Melanie smiled and began to explain it to him, but she never mentioned anything about Alya or the fruit. They spent time with each other, and a few days later, the knight asked for her hand in marriage. Melanie agreed, and they held a wedding underneath the apple tree.