The Three Roses

Once upon a time there was a mother who had three daughters. There

was to be a market in the next town, and she said she would go to

it. She asked the daughters what she should bring them back. Two of

them named a great number of things; she must buy all of them, they

said. You know the sort of women, and the sort of things they would

want. Well, when they had asked for more than enough, the mother

asked the third daughter:

"And you, don't you want anything?"

"No, I don't want anything; but, if you like, you can bring me three

roses, please."

If she wanted no more than that, her mother was ready to bring them.

When the mother knew all she wanted, she went off to market. She bought

all she could, piled it all on her back, and started for home. But

she was overtaken by nightfall, and the poor mother completely lost

her way and could go no farther. She wandered through the forest till

she was quite worn out, and at last she came to a palace, though she

had never before heard of any palace there. There was a large garden

full of roses, so beautiful that no painter alive could paint them,

and all the roses were smiling at her. So she remembered her youngest

daughter, who had wished for just such roses. She had forgotten it

entirely till then. Surely that was because she was so old! Now she

thought: "There are plenty of roses here, so I will take these three."

So she went into the garden and took the roses. At once a basilisk

came and demanded her daughter in exchange for the roses. The mother

was terrified and wanted to throw the flowers away. But the basilisk

said that wouldn't be any use, and he threatened to tear her to

pieces. So she had to promise him her daughter. There was no help

for it, and so she went home.

She took the three roses to her daughter and said: "Here are the

roses, but I had to pay dearly for them. You must go to yonder castle

in payment for them, and I don't even know whether you will ever

come back."

But Mary seemed as though she didn't mind at all, and she said she

would go. So the mother took her to the castle. There was everything

she wanted there. Soon the basilisk appeared and told Mary that she

must nurse him in her lap for three hours every day. There was no

way out, do it she must, and so the basilisk came and she nursed him

for three hours. Then he went out, but he came next day and the day

after that. On the third day he brought a sword and told poor Mary

to cut his head off.

She protested that she wasn't used to doing things like that, and do

it she could not. But the basilisk said in a rage that, if that was so,

he would tear her to pieces. As there was no choice, she went up to him

and cut his head off. And as the basilisk's head rolled on the ground,

there came forth from his body a long serpent, hissing horribly. He

asked her to cut his head off again. Mary did not hesitate this time,

but cut his head off at once.

The serpent (by the way, he held the golden keys of that palace in

his mouth) was immediately changed into a beautiful youth, and he

said in a pleasant voice: "This castle belongs to me, and, as you

have delivered me, there is no help for it: I must marry you."

So there was a great wedding, the castle was full of their attendants,

and they all had to play and dance. But the floor was of paper,

so I fell through it, and here I am now.