Once upon a time, there was a girl with a beautiful heart named Maria.
Maria's heart was so beautiful that she felt the sorrows of others as if they were her own.
There was a war, and many people died...and she was betrayed by someone she trusted...
As the world became more and more vile, someone, somewhere, was thinking of their sorrows, day after day.
So, Maria cried. Every single day, she cried.
But, she was able to forget her sadness just by watching the magic done by "the clown magician".
The clown magician showed her all kinds of magic tricks. He made chestnuts float, doves fly out of his hat, and sometimes he pulled playing cards that should have been burned to ashes out of Maria's pocket.
His magic made Maria smile a lot.
When they parted, they opened a bible and prayed for peace together.
But, as they thought, the sorrows of the world didn't go away.
"Yesterday, I saw on the news that someone did something horrible to a woman. Why can't people just live good, pure lives?" Maria said, weeping.
The clown magician just kept doing his magic. His smile reached out to Maria.
One day, the clown magician said,
"I fear I may have to go back to the Land of Magic for a while."
Maria became very sad.
"You won't be able to come and see me anymore?" Maria asked the clown magician.
"No, that's not it. I'll be able to come back really soon. I just have to take a little trip to the Land of Magic, that's all. So when I see you again, I'll show you some really amazing magic, I promise."
Maria smiled. Then, she gave him the bible they always read from together, saying,
"Pray from the Land of Magic for the sorrows of this world to be taken away."
From that day on, the clown magician didn't come to see Maria anymore.
Maria's tears wouldn't stop as the sorrows of the world weighed heavier and heavier upon her, but she waited for him forever and ever, believing that when she did see the clown magician, he would surely make her smile again...
