An old woman's imagination

I'm already an old lady, though many people, due to my good upbringing, won't admit it. My most frequent activity is walking, as I have no energy for anything else. My head is covered with only a few gray, unsightly hairs. Oh! How I would give to return to my youth and become that beautiful and graceful young woman whom the boys from all over the village had crushes on. But I can't help it. Perhaps I'll move on to my story...

The story I'm about to describe exceeded all my imagination. In my entire extraordinary life, it never even occurred to me that such a "fairytale" adventure could happen to anyone, let alone me. I always believed that such stories were written for money and fame, or by someone with an unusually vivid imagination, and that everything contained within them was merely children's literature. People who loved such stories always made me laugh. If only I knew what was about to happen to me...

It was a June morning. I lay awake in bed, but still with my eyes closed. Suddenly, a terrible noise reached my ears, and a young lady in a maid's uniform rushed into my room, saying,

"My Lady, why aren't you up yet? It's so late! If your father were to find out... Please hurry up, Miss. We have such a tiring day ahead of us. The party starts at 6:00 PM, and it's already 10:40 AM. Oh my! Quick, quick, please..."

"What? What???? Where?! What..."

"Oh, Miss... Please get going!"

Put yourself in my shoes. I couldn't get a word out... The girl who came to wake me looked like a maid. And most likely mine! What was she saying? Me? A princess??? What could she be doing here? But looking around the room, I thought something else. What was I doing here? I wasn't lying in my hard, narrow bed, but in a large four-poster bed. One movement, and I was sinking into it. The carpets were covered in beautiful patterns, the walls painted cream with shades of pink. I looked at the large, double wooden doors with brass handles, the numerous chests, the dressing table, the chest of drawers, all the dresses hanging in the wardrobe, and I couldn't believe my eyes! The splendor... I got out of bed and walked over to the large mirror with a beautiful gilded frame that hung next to the wardrobe. Looking into them, I was completely stunned... The mirror image revealed myself, only about 50 years younger! My face had regained its former charm, my straight auburn hair fell to my shoulders, my ruddy complexion was wrinkle-free, and my eyes! My eyes sparkled with the same extraordinary radiance as before... But there was something that terrified me!! Instead of my two shapely legs, I had one giant fish tail!! It was covered with hundreds of scales in shades of the ocean. Then I noticed something else! Instead of feet, I had grown two enormous fins... And behind my ears... oh my God! Behind my ears, I had grown real gills! Suddenly, I felt faint and thought I might faint... I ran outside as fast as I could, and an incredible sight befell me: I was in the depths of the ocean, water everywhere, in which I could move and breathe effortlessly, and thousands of beautiful mermaids, colorful fish, sharks, and underwater creatures of incredible size swam past me every moment. When I turned around, I was speechless with amazement! It turned out I lived in a huge castle with an incredible number of turrets and gilded details. At the very top of the palace, the middle, largest turret was completely glass. Through the glass, I could see a huge man with an incredibly beautiful fish tail. He was incredibly muscular, held a trident in his hand, and a huge gray beard covered his mouth. He wore an amber-encrusted crown, and a multitude of guards stood at his side. As I looked at him, he glanced at me and waved. One of the mermaids swimming past me said,

"The princess must be thrilled with her choice of husband today! Oh, how I envy you! I wish you a wonderful time at the ball. And above all, I wish you the right choice of your future husband!"

With these words, the mermaid quickly swam away, not having time to notice the expression on my face. "What? What husband?" I had no idea what they were all talking about. Astonished and worried, I returned to the castle, where I managed to overhear the servants (who were too excited to keep their mouths shut) that at this very ball, I was to choose a husband from among a hundred men! You know, of course, that many sailors, hearing the beautiful and seductive song of the mermaids, would throw themselves into the ocean after them. Everyone thought that men seduced by this song perished in the depths, but as I learned, this was false. In the depths of the ocean, the mermaids were short of potential husbands. For some reason, there were ten times fewer of them than women, so they had no choice but to lure humans into the underwater world. Surely they couldn't allow their species to become extinct! The sailors were first brought before the princess (I played that role!), who could choose a husband from among them. And all of this was waiting for me today! I couldn't believe my ears...

The entire afternoon passed incredibly quickly. I spent it admiring the depths, the creatures, and the wondrous castle. I still couldn't believe I was one of the people it belonged to. The speculations made my head hurt at times. How could something so unreal have happened to me? But when it came time for the ball, I had to break away from these thoughts. The maid dressed me in the most beautiful of all my dresses. (And let me tell you, there were many, and even my ugliest dress was far prettier than the best dress I'd ever seen on earth!) I felt truly beautiful then. I descended the grand staircase into the ballroom, where a crowd of guests greeted me. Many young men and women caught my eye. After a moment, I sat down next to my father on the throne. Only now did I get a better look at him. I hadn't realized the strength and wisdom he exuded. I didn't blame my subjects for choosing him as their leader. Even sitting next to him, I felt incredibly safe. He greeted me warmly and asked if I'd already observed the men gathered there and if I'd taken a liking to any of them. I was surprised by his honest response, but who was I to him if not a daughter? I couldn't answer the question coherently, and to this day I rack my brain wondering, "What did I answer him then?" Beside us sat a whole row of the royal family, and in front of us... A table laden with an incredible array of dishes and various delicious delicacies stood before us. I'd never been to such a feast in my life, nor had I seen so much food at once. Just as I was about to begin, the king called for the orchestra to stop playing. Immediately afterward, he stepped forward and asked all the young men and women who wanted his daughters' hand in marriage to approach me one by one, and I would make my choice. At that moment, I blushed crimson. All faces turned to me, and I didn't know what to say... I took a deep breath and realized there was no other option but to pull myself together. The men approached me one by one, each introducing themselves, telling me where they were from, and if I liked one more, we exchanged a few words. After a while, however, I was bored. The ball dragged on terribly long, and so far no one had shown up who really interested me (please don't think I'm being immodest, but there were plenty of them!). I began to worry about what I would do, but then I saw an incredibly handsome man standing before me! I smiled warmly when he introduced himself. I was eager to start a conversation with him. We went out into the royal garden. This man completely captivated me! We strolled together and discussed everything. There were also many wonderful compliments. I had never met anyone with such a wonderful personality. Someone who spoke as beautifully as he did and treated me so kindly.Delicate and romantic... They say love at first sight is impossible, and I'd claimed so myself before. But that day, I believed it existed and truly fell in love. Me! An elderly woman (though with a beautiful, youthful body). The man who so captivated me was named Eryk. The news that I had chosen a husband spread throughout the kingdom in five minutes. Everyone congratulated us, even though the wedding hadn't yet taken place. It never did. Unfortunately, the reception ended soon. I said goodbye to him with regret, even though I thought I'd see him the next day and be married the following week. Perhaps subconsciously, I knew I wouldn't see him again. Returning to my room after the ball, I went to bed happy. I dreamed of Eryk and our wedding. The next day, however, I didn't wake up in the castle and the depths of the ocean. My skin became wrinkled and pale again. Once again, I was a tiny, gray-haired old woman living alone and in poverty. To this day, I remember Szymon and that wonderful day I met him and said goodbye. Although each of you is probably thinking that this story couldn't have really happened and was just my dream or the figment of an old woman's sick imagination, I must say that I'm not at all surprised. I certainly wouldn't have trusted anyone if I hadn't experienced it firsthand. But one day, you too will wake up in a different world. You will meet people and creatures you will never forget. And I tell you, you will believe it then. You will believe the story of an old grandmother whose imagination is simply playing tricks on you...But one day, you too will awaken in a different world. You will meet people and creatures you will never forget. And I tell you, you will believe it then. You will believe the tale of an old wives' tale whose imagination simply plays tricks on you...But one day, you too will awaken in a different world. You will meet people and creatures you will never forget. And I tell you, you will believe it then. You will believe the tale of an old wives' tale whose imagination simply plays tricks on you...