A long time ago, in a land far away, there lived a little girl named Nundi who was the prettiest little girl in all the land. She was so beautiful that the birds in the trees would sing special songs for her whenever she passed by.

During the day, butterflies followed her everywhere she went. They encircled her head to form a colorful winged crown whenever she stopped. At night, fireflies did likewise; forming a crown that sparkled with their brightly lit yellow-orange tails. Not only was Nundi beautiful on the outside, she was just as beautiful on the inside. She was also content, and had a heart full of love. Nundi loved everybody, and everything; and everybody and everything loved her.

One day Nundi asked her parents if she could go by herself to the stream on the outskirts of her village to admire the water lilies. The water in the stream was pure, shallow, and so clear that Nundi could see her reflection in it. When her parents told her that she could go, she half-ran and half-skipped down the pathway leading out of her village toward the stream. A colorful trail of butterflies fluttered in her wake.

When Nundi arrived at the stream, the water lilies were swaying in the breeze. She smiled at the slender flowers as they danced. The more she smiled, the more the flowers danced, until they seemed to leap toward the sky.

Then, the butterflies began to dance. Next, the birds took their places in the tree branches and began singing in their soothing soprano. As the frogs croaked and crooned, the crickets awoke from their daytime slumber and began their cheerful chirping.

A few rabbits and deer heard the music and gathered around. Squirrels scurried from their nests; and foxes came out of their holes to dance alongside the water lilies. Soon, the stream was surrounded in an unbelievable symphony of sight and sound. Nundi’s smile grew broader and brighter.

Now, as enchanting as this scene was, not everyone was pleased by it. Deep in the forest, there lived a woman named Tai. She was very old, and very mean. She had coal black eyes that sat far back in their sockets, and her thin wisps of gray hair were matted to her head. Her skin, which was once smooth and coffee brown, was lined and ashen. She looked quite scary.