The girl dressed in flowers

There once was a farmers boy by the name of Jack, whos farher was poor as such was his mother. But still he was kind and generous with anything he had.

One day when traveling to the woods, the only thing he had was with him was sour ale and dry old bread. By the road he met a fellow tarveler, a tomtur who looked as if starving. The boy offered part of his meal with him that they shared, and as thanks, the traveler gave him a story of the most butifull maiden all dressed in flowers, said to be the most butifull girl in the world, some said to be the doughter of summer herself. And that she lived across the sea in the a grand city of marble.

The boy, upon hearing the tomturs story felt compeled to find this girl and merry her, as such, he thanked for the time they chared and offered the tomtur half his rations for his continued journing, as most thankfull, the tomtur gave in return the boy three things, a flask of brass, a raged napkin and a tin wistle. Most gratious was the boy and thanked for the many gifts, then leaving to find this girl of flowers.

He traveled far to the the harbours grate, there he found work on a ship that sailed for the far west. Across the ocean they went to travel for the city of marbels. Upon his journy the boy heard of other tales about the butifull maiden. Some told of her vaptured by a hideous dragon who said that he was to eat her upon her last day of youth. The boy swore that he would save her from his evil grip.

Once ashore they youth wondered to the mountins far, seeking out the dragons den. There he serched and looked, following the smell of smoke and sulfur. Soon enough he found a large cave, where the floor was filled with presious gems and coins, treasures of every kind, upon the piles outmost top, sat a throne with the princess, chained fast as storys told. She was as butifull as one ever could be, with golden eyes and hair like snow, her skin as that of earth and her dress made of most butifull flowers. When the lad took another step, out came a roar and firey smooke, as the dragon lord from the shadows emerged.

With a breath as hot as steam the creature spoke: "What does thou want little human, speek fast for as I eat you soon". The boy stod fast and asked so kindly: "I wish to serve my lord, if you wish a servant such as me". At this the dragon haltered. A long time he though for himself, then with a clever response he said: "I have no food or water fitting for you, and human food despice me such I will kill anyone who brings it, doest such still think you can serve me?". At this the boy awnsered yes. The dragon thought the boy tried to trick him, asked to see the content of his pokets then, but the only thing the boy did have was the flask, who the dragon found empty, the raged cloth that contained nothing and a tin wistle that gave no sound. Content that the boy was true to his word, he had now to let him into his service, and as such the boy worked.

But no mather how long time it took the boy never did starve nor fail in hunger, and every day the dragon asked to what he had in his pokets, but there he only found the flask, the cloth and wistle. Angry, he decided to give the boy a tast to which he could not compleat. The next day he summoned the lad and asked of him to clean the who house as the dragon where to leave for a hunt, not leaving a lint to be found. The boy gave a bow and said that this would be done and the dragon left, knowing he now would be able to eat the boy when he came back for failing the task.

When the dragon was out of sight, the boy took his tin wistle and blew it, though even if it did not make a sound to be heard, soon there could be heard the sound of thousend paws, as the rat queen and her whole court of mice and rodents came running. For the wistle was not ordenary but magical, as one blew, it summoned the animals one wished for, no mather how far. The queen demanded to know why she was summoned and the boy asked that she would help him clean the whole dungeon, from floor to sealing and every coin there was. She said that this would be most expensive as she had many followers that was in need of food, but the boy promised that every wiskered animal would be full and satisfied before they left. The royal rat content had her subjects starting the work.

As they where done, they asked the boy where this promised food now was, at this he took the simple ragged cloth, to which he put on hishand, when removed it was not empty, but holding a most delissious pie. For the cloth was nothing ordenary, but magic such as it summoned any food that was wished for, and so the boy gave each and every helper their said due for work well done. When the dragon finaly returned, it was with ragious eyes he saw that the boy had been true to his word, and not a speck of dust, or crumb of filth could be found. He decided that the next day a even harder task would be given.

Next day dawned and the dragon told the boy that he needed new liqure and so asked for the boy to wash the barrels and brew new ale to make sure he got enough to be satisfied and content, when the boy saw the large barrels that the dragon used, he knew that he never would be able to lift a singel one. the dragon said that he had to hurry, for this was to be done all before the sun set, and as such, the dragon left as the day before to have his hunt.

The dragon was soon far away and the boy used the wistle again, This time there came a army of oxes, they as the rats asked for food and was such given, and in return they pulled the barrels to the river where they where cleaned and moved back into the mountin and when they where done, the boy took his brass flask. It was not as ordinary as it looked, for once uncorked, it poured a liquid of choice till the harts content of what was wished for. And with the finest ale in mind, the boy filled each and every barrel. When the dragon returned, he found that the task had been done again, now furious he turned to the liqure and filled himself to his harts content, but as the ale was of the best kind, it became to much for the dragon, and he passed out drunk in his bed of gold.

Once the boy knew he was fast asllep, he pulled his sword and stabed the dragon between his armoured scales and struck the hart untill he died. After that he freed the princess and they left the horrid dungeon, they came back to the city and the boy and princess met the queen who thanked the youth for bringing back her doughter, the girl who had talked with the boy during every night of their captivity and all the way back from there had fallen deeply in love and as such wished to marry the boy. To this the mother agreed, with the promise that the girl would come and stay with her each winter, where the boy of course was welcome to join, to this they both agreed.

They had the most grand of wedings, and together they lived happily ever after, each spring summer and aughtom she stayed with him. And when winter came, she stayed with her mother in her castle.

Lore
Some verrsion re-tell this hostory as a second part to the The king's labyrinth. Meening that it is the king instead of a farmboy, and once again there is also versions of the hero being a girl instead. Though all versions tells of the same verrsion appart from the main character. Most verssion refering to the other story somethimes comes with an extended ending, where after they are maried, she is one day kidnaped again when trying to cross the ocean between the prince and har mothers kingdom. This extended verssion ofthen tells of the dragons brother that kidnaps the princess in revenge of his brother, and the prince trade his gift from the tomtur to a selffighting sword, ofthen refered in other lore as Jaheiler. A blade that he uses to kill the dragon. Though most other people rather refer to another story called "Under the ground", thought to be the origin for the extension that was most likely added after due to simularity.

Many scollars belive that that apart from the obvious note of mark of yuma, the princess is actually also of nymphos heritage from some verssion of higly descriptive that the dress is more of growing from her then a seperate clothing, though some meant that it is only a error of translation. But it would make more logical resoning to her need of staying with her kin during winter for protection.

Others mean that it is more of a fictional character of the of summer and/or spring, as some regions have tried to lift other aspects then thoes recognized by the tempels.