East of the Sun & West of the Moon

Once upon a time, in a far-off land, there lived a young girl named Greta. She lived with her mother and father, and they were very poor. One day, a polar bear knocked on their door and asked if Greta would come away with him to his palace that was east of the sun and west of the moon. He promised her family wealth and prosperity in return for her company.

Greta’s parents agreed to the polar bear’s offer, and Greta rode on his back to his palace. At first, Greta was afraid of the polar bear, but he was kind to her and treated her well. In the palace, she found beautiful clothes, delicious food, and a warm bed to sleep in. She quickly grew to love the polar bear and looked forward to his visits.

One night, the polar bear asked Greta if she would marry him. She hesitated, but he promised her that she would be happy and that he would take care of her forever. Greta agreed to the marriage, and the polar bear was delighted.

For many months, Greta lived in the palace with the polar bear as her husband. But one day, Greta’s curiosity got the better of her. She wanted to know what her husband looked like under his fur coat. She waited until he fell asleep and then lit a candle to see him.

To her shock, she saw a handsome prince lying there, and the light of the candle woke him up. The prince told Greta that he had been cursed by a wicked troll and that only the pure of heart could break the curse. He asked Greta to go on a journey to find the troll’s castle and break the curse.

Greta agreed to help the prince, and he gave her a magical golden apple and a horse that could travel faster than the wind. He also gave her a warning: never to speak with her mother or father, as they would try to discourage her from her journey.

Greta set out on her journey, and after many days of traveling, she arrived at the troll’s castle. The troll appeared to her and offered her a deal: he would break the curse on the prince if she married him instead. Greta refused, and the troll became angry.

The troll then revealed that Greta’s mother and father had been in league with him all along. They had been paid by the troll to prevent Greta from reaching the troll’s castle. Feeling betrayed, Greta refused to speak to her parents and instead focused on her mission.

Greta managed to trick the troll by asking him questions that required him to think deeply. While he was distracted, she broke the curse on the prince by giving him the golden apple. The prince was freed from his curse, and they both escaped the troll’s castle.

On their journey back to the polar bear’s palace, Greta and the prince fell in love. When they arrived, the polar bear was waiting for them. He revealed that he had been the prince all along, and that the curse had been broken. Greta and the prince lived happily ever after in the palace, and they always remembered the journey that brought them together.