The Legend of the Bleeding-heart

A lone old flax-spinner rescues and raises an orphan girl, fashioning a string of beads from drops of her own heart's blood as a talisman of devotion. When the girl attracts a prince by offering him water, she is invited to court and each bead, when clasped and accompanied by the charm prescribed by her foster-mother, transforms into a splendid gown for successive balls. The narrative moves through episodes of magical transformation and social testing, as the prince's admiration grows and the story examines sacrifice, gratitude, humble origins, and the gentle interplay of domestic care and enchanted lore.