Once upon a time, there was a beautiful, noble, and not stupid, albeit somewhat conceited, nymph named Europa. She had a good heart, but she loved peace so much that she forgot that those who love peace must prepare for war to preserve peace and end conflict. The nymph loved nature, the clear lakes, and green forests so deeply that she overlooked the fact that the silken garments she wore came from factories with their towering chimneys. She was so filled with kindness that she wanted to help wherever she could, spreading her wisdom and goodness throughout the world.
Yet, the dear nymph was met with suspicion. “What does this nymph think she can teach us? What is she scheming?” Only a few were grateful for her advice.
Far away, across a great pond, there lived a mighty Frog King who ruled a vast empire. He secretly smiled at the misunderstood nymph, whose help and kindness no one appreciated. But he also worried for her, and so he wrote her a letter:
“My dear Europa,
To be as good as you are, one must be very rich and strong. If you are not, the east wind will carry your kindness out to sea, where it will sink. For a long time, you have been under my protection, but I too have grown old with the years, and other realms are rising, becoming ever more powerful. I do not know how much longer I can protect you. Therefore, take care of yourself, dear nymph, so that your work does not have to perish.”
The nymph was deeply frightened by this. She despised weapons, war, and power, and the burden of the task entrusted to her weighed so heavily on her that she fell into a deep sleep.
And so time passed, and the east wind blew ever stronger across the lands. Eventually, the Frog King’s time came to an end. An unappealing toad succeeded him. And because the nymph was beautiful, the toad kissed her, and she awoke from her slumber.
Sleepily, Europa rubbed her eyes and, as if it were a fairy tale, she stretched out her arms to embrace her prince, savior, and caretaker. But, ugh, what was this? A slimy toad? The nymph screamed in horror: “Why are you kissing me, you ugly toad?”
The toad croaked angrily: “I came to wake you, nymph, so that you are not blown out to sea in your sleep.”
The noble nymph was deeply offended that a toad had dared to wake her with a kiss.
“This is not right,” said the nymph. “The Frog King always took care of me, and for all the good I do, I need my rest.”
With that, the toad turned away from the nymph, who still sits pensively by the shore, wanting to share her gifts, but the wind blows so loudly that no one can hear her or accept her offerings.
Fortunately, this ending is just a fairy tale, and the beautiful nymph Europa, quite the opposite, is well-rested, flying about, making plans with her friends, and preparing to preserve what is worth preserving!
