"Once upon a time, a country was known for its clear flowing water. No matter what season or what climate, the rivers and lakes would sparkle with fresh purity. The most magical thing about the water was that it would not freeze even in cold harsh winters, nor would it dry up in scorching droughts. The people were nourished by the blessing of the beautiful water. Crops were able to grow all year around, and all the neighboring countries came to buy food from the still flourishing Water Country during famines.
Now the king of this country was a handsome, kind man. He fought bravely in battles and he loved all his people; and they loved him, for he was just and fair. But he was aging, and with no wife to bear him sons, the people became worried that there would be no one to lead them once the king passed on. So all the officials under the king tried to find him a suitable wife, but the king would not take in any of the young, lovely women that were presented to him. Even the princesses of far away lands wanted to be his queen, but the king turned them all down.
One day, the king was walking around a lake outside the palace. The waterlilies were in bloom, and they carpeted the crystal lake in a blanket of white and pink. Just then, the king noticed a maiden playing in the water. Her ravishing beauty immediately captivated the king, and he fell in love with her instantly. The king approached her, and asked for her hand in marriage. The maiden blushed, and she accepted the king's proposal.
The people were overjoyed when the king and the girl were married. There was joy in the country for a long time.
One year, a man discovered something in the water. Something he has never seen before; it was a little piece of shining solid gold. The people were all curiously excited of this new thing that was found in the water. And more people started to dig deep into the rivers in search of this wonderful gold. The country has found its new treasure. They sold gold to all the neighboring, and the more profit they earned, the greedier they became. They started to mine hungrily for more of the soft rare metal, draining their once precious lakes and rivers. The queen became more and more distressed by the dwindling water in the country. More than thrice has she begged her king to stop the people from further mining. The king, knowing that the gold would be far more valuable than mere water, ignored his queen's plead. He knew there was still plenty of water to go around.
The lake where the king and queen first met was also in threat of being drained. It was during the waterlily season again, and the workers were enthusiastically pulling each flower out in hopes of finding more gold. When the queen learnt of this, she desperately pleaded with her husband to leave that lake and the waterlilies alone. But the king, in his stubbornness could not listen to a word his queen said. The workers continued to pluck the waterlilies out, day and night. During the last night of their labor, they discovered a glowing blue waterlily hiding among others. The small warm glow seemed to be speaking out to the workers, but nonetheless the workers reached out to pull it out from the water. The waterlily, though small, gripped the watery floor with tenacious strength. The workers had no choice but to cut the flower off from its roots. A large saw was needed to chop the small flower, and as soon as the bloom was separated from the roots, the blue glow disappeared.
The king woke up from his dream of gold the following morning. When he turned, he discovered that his queen was no longer lying beside him. He uncovered the sheets, and found a small, blue waterlily, withered up in the place where his beloved wife laid."
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