Not that long ago, when some of our grandmothers and grandfathers were tiny children, most of Europe was controlled by one large royal family.

One of those royals was born in Britain, speaking English, named Marie. She ended up marrying the German ruler of Romania at the time and, after his death, became queen in her own right – Queen Marie of Romania.

For those of you who own my book, you know that the seat of her power during her reign was in Bran Castle near Brasov, now mostly famously known (to tourists) as “Dracula’s Castle”. It’s an odd but true fact that Marie’s heart is still buried on the grounds of that castle today.

For all her shortcomings and flaws, she was probably the most passionate English-speaking Romaniophile in all of history before I came along. She wrote lots of articles and newspaper stories in her day. And, yes, an entire book called The Queen of Roumania’s Fairy Book.

And inside that book is a Christmas Tale:

THIS is a very strange tale I have got to tell you to-day. It is about a mysterious well—a deep, deep well which lay in the centre of a dark forest. It is also a Christmas tale. No one knew why that well was there, nor who had dug it, nor how old it was.

The peasants from the villages around stood in great awe of this well, because from its depth a weird sound could be heard, a sort of moan, half sob, half gurgle, and sometimes a sound as though someone were knocking against its sides, which made you think of a lost soul in distress, perhaps held captive down there and unable to get out.

Click here to read the rest.

Merry Christmas! – Craciun Fericit! – Kellemes Karacsonyt!