The Prince and The Deer Girl

In the fairy realm there are many types of fairies and one kind are deer-people.

You may sometimes catch sight of a deer maiden while in the forest and she will look just like a beautiful young woman but then, the moment you approach her to talk to her, she’ll transform herself into a red deer and dart off like a flash and though you may chase after her you’ll never catch her for deer maidens are swift as the wind.

Once, however, a young prince fell in love with a deer maiden.

The prince had been playing a tune upon his pipe and the deer maiden had liked the music so much she had forgotten about the dangers of getting too near to mortals and had come close to listen.

But then, seeing the deer maiden listening, the prince thought her so beautiful that he stopped his playing and asked her name.

“Roana”, she said.

But then the prince, like a man mesmerized, came towards her and she got so frightened that, in the wink of an eye, she turned into a fawn and flew off into the forest.

Desperate not to lose her, the prince chased after her until, finally he saw the deer maiden dart into a cave and then, shortly after, a man came out; the deer maidens father wearing a crown like two antlers and with a fierce look upon his face.

“Go back to where you come from, mortal”, said the stag father, “You are not welcome here”.

“But I love your daughter”, said the Prince.

The stag father transformed into a real stag; an enormous one with two large antlers upon its head.

“Then you must be prepared to fight for her”, it said.

Unfortunately, the prince did not have any sort of a weapon upon him but an oak tree nearby, moved by the princes passionate declaration of love, let go of one of its large branches and the prince picked it up readying himself.

The stag charged towards the Prince with its antlers lowered.

Fortunately the branch of the oak tree was shaped just like the antler of a stag and it got tangled up with the stags antlers so that it could not get them loose.

Then, seizing his opportunity, the prince twisted the branch round, flipping the stag over onto its back.

“Let go”, said the stag, angrily, trying to get back up.

“Only if you permit me to see your daughter”, said the prince.

The stag relented and then the Prince saw the deer maiden come out of the cave and when the prince saw her, he let go of the branch and sank to his knees.

“Please”, he said, picking a wild white rose from the ground and presenting it to her as a gift , “I only wish to know you better”.

And after spending time together the deer maiden fell in love with the Prince and they were married, not in a church but in the forest with the Green Man, the king of the forest fairies as their priest; they had a son and daughter who, like their mother were as swift as the wind and they lived very happily ever after.