In the small Austrian town of Forchtenstein, near the great castle, stood an old playground. It was a place where children's laughter echoed through the air, and swings creaked in the breeze. But among the slides and climbing frames stood something unusual—an old knight statue, holding a single metal flower in his hand.
No one knew exactly how he got there, but the townspeople said he had once guarded the castle. Legends whispered that he had fallen in love with a princess who loved flowers more than gold. To win her heart, he forged a perfect iron rose. But before he could give it to her, a spell froze him in time.
Children loved the knight. They played around him, touching the flower and making up stories. One evening, as the sun set behind the hills, a little girl named Lena placed a real red rose in the knight’s hand. The wind blew gently, and for just a moment, some say they saw the knight smile.
And so, the knight remained, his metal flower in one hand, a real one in the other—forever watching over the playground in Forchtenstein.