In a mysterious ancient castle lived a wicked witch who forbade anyone from approaching her castle. Any woman who ventured too close would be turned into a bird, while any man would become a statue.
Within her castle, there were seven hundred beautiful birds—each one a young girl who had tragically fallen victim to the witch’s curse.
There was a handsome young man named Jorindel who deeply loved a beautiful girl named Jorinda. She loved him just as much, and they were about to be married.
One evening, as they walked home together, lost in endless conversation, they unknowingly wandered near the witch’s castle.
In an instant, Jorinda transformed into a bird, and Jorindel became a motionless statue.
At that moment, the witch appeared. She swiftly seized the bird and coldly said to Jorindel, “How dare you come near my castle! This is your fate! I’ll spare you this time, but if I see you again, I won’t be so kind!”
With a flick of her hand, Jorindel was freed from the spell, but a sudden whirlwind swept him far away.
Desperate, Jorindel tried to find his way back to the castle to rescue Jorinda, but no matter how hard he searched, the castle had vanished without a trace.
He searched for days and nights, but to no avail.
Exhausted, he collapsed in the forest and fell asleep. In his dream, a fairy appeared and said, “Your love for Jorinda touches my heart, but you will never find the castle. The witch has cast a spell on you. Even if you do find it, how will you defeat her? She is powerful beyond measure.”
“Fairy, please tell me—how can I save Jorinda?” Jorindel pleaded.
“High atop a distant mountain, there grows a purple flower with a pearl at its heart. If you can find this flower, you will break the spell, find the castle, and rescue Jorinda. But the journey is long and fraught with danger—you may even lose your life. Think carefully before you proceed.”
“As long as I can save Jorinda, I fear nothing!” Jorindel declared with determination.
At dawn, he set off immediately.
Through mountains and valleys, he braved countless perils—fierce beasts, ruthless bandits—narrowly escaping death more than once.
Yet thoughts of Jorinda gave him the strength to overcome every obstacle.
When he finally saw the purple flower on the mountain, with a pearl at its heart, a smile appeared on his weary face. He ran over and carefully picked it.
Cradling the flower like a priceless treasure, Jorindel began his journey back.
The flower seemed to shield him from harm, guiding him directly to the witch’s castle.
When he reached the massive gate, he touched it with the flower—and the gate swung open instantly.
When Jorindel found the witch，She was stunned—she never expected him to find her castle, let alone unlock its doors.
Recovering quickly, she sneered, “You dare defy me? You ignored my warning and trespassed into my castle! Now, you shall remain a statue forever!”
She flicked her hand to cast her spell, but Jorindel did not turn into a statue.
Just as she was shocked that her magic had failed, she noticed the purple flower in Jorindel’s arms and immediately understood.
She smirked cunningly. “So, you’ve obtained the Pearl-Hearted Purple Flower. Fine. Among these seven hundred birds, if you can identify Jorinda, you may take her with you.”
Jorindel looked at the seven hundred cages filled with birds, feeling overwhelmed. How could he possibly recognize her?
Just then, he noticed the witch secretly picking up one particular cage, trying to slip away unnoticed.
It must be Jorinda!
He rushed forward and touched the cage with the flower.
At once, the bird inside transformed back into Jorinda.
Overcome with joy, they embraced in tears.
At that moment, they saw the witch collapse to the ground. Simultaneously, all seven hundred birds turned back into young girls.
When Jorindel had touched the cage, he had also brushed the witch with the flower. Her magic was completely destroyed, and the curse was lifted.
The freed girls rejoiced, expressing their gratitude to Jorindel and congratulating Jorinda on finding her true love.
Jorindel and Jorinda were finally married and lived happily ever after.
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