In this violent story, men and women are painted in all hues from black to white. The action includes an illicit love affair , treacheries by a stepmother and her ugly daughters, kindness by a loving father, and a young woman's magical healing power that helps legitimizes an illegitimate relationship.
Once there was a merchant, a widower, who had a daughter whom he loved very much. To pass the time of day she used to visit the house of a neighbor. This woman was a widow who had three daughters, each one uglier than the next. The merchant's daughter, on the other hand, was very pretty, and much admired. To curry her favor, the neighbor treated her with great affection. Every time she came to visit, she bathed her, combed her hair, and plied her with delicate pastries and sweets. There was nothing she would not do for her but, in truth, she was a hypocrite.
One day, as she was arranging the girl's hair, she said to her, "It would be a good idea if your father married me, then we would be together all the time. I would take care of you, and love you even more than I do now," and she clasped her in her arms.
The girl went home, and waited impatiently for her father to return. As soon as he walked in the door, she said, "Papa, why don't you marry the widow? I think it would be a good idea." "Listen, my child," he said, "that woman is a hypocrite. She is nice to you only because she wants a husband. I am afraid that once we are married she will be mean to you. But the daughter kept on insisting. "Come on, papa, I don't believe that. You'll see, she will be very kind to me, and I won't be alone so much of the time."
The father sighed and shook his head but to satisfy his daughter, he gave her an iron shoe, and said, "Take this to the widow and tell her I'll marry her if she can break it in two." Then he left and thought no more about it. The daughter brought the shoe to the widow, and told her what her father had said.
Neither father nor daughter really believed that the widow had the strength to split the shoe. But the widow was determined. She beat the shoe with hammers with all her might day and night until it finally broke. When the father saw the broken shoe he was amazed, and even though he didn't want to, he kept his word and married the widow.
At first, all went well. Little by little the new wife began to neglect her in favor of her own ugly daughters. But when she started to mistreat her, the father feared for her life. Unable to control his wife, he built a palace for the daughter, and she lived there alone with only servants to care for her.
One day, as he was leaving on a business trip to Argel, he asked his wife and stepdaughters what gifts they wanted him to bring back. One asked for a dress, another shoes, another a bracelet, and his wife a necklace. Before leaving, he went to his daughter's palace. "Dear child," he said, "what would you like me to bring you. Ask anything your heart desires, and it shall be yours." "Papa," she said, embracing him, "I don't want jewelry or dresses, I have more than I need. All I want is a portrait of the prince of Argel; they say he is the most handsome man in the kingdom." "Very well," said the father, "I will do my best."
The merchant went to Argel, and when he finished his business bought presents for his stepdaughters and his wife. He looked in all the shops, in the marketplace, and asked everyone where to find a portrait of the prince, but no one knew. "How terrible," he said to himself, "I have presents for my wife and stepdaughters whom I do not care for, and nothing for my daughter whom I love more than life itself. I will ask the prince himself."
Then he went to the palace and asked for an audience. The prince received him graciously. "Your highness, " he pleaded, "I have only one daughter whom I dearly love. I promised to bring her a gift, but she asked for a portrait of your majesty, and I cannot find one. Please help me."
Then the prince said, "Of course you did not find my portrait, I never had one made. Give this box of powders to your daughter. Tell her when everyone is asleep to lock her door, light a brazier, open the window, and scatter the powders over the brazier. Then she will see me.
The father thanked the prince, and took his departure. When he arrived at his daughter's palace, he said to her. "My child," he said, "you are indeed lucky. When I couldn't find the prince's portrait I went to see him. He sent this box of powders as a gift to you. Follow the instructions and you shall see him in person.
After her father left, the girl locked the door, scattered the powders in the brazier, opened the window, and called for the prince. As soon as night fell, the prince flew in through the window mounted on a bird. He stayed with her until dawn, then he mounted the bird, and flew away. Every night he returned, and every morning he went away.
Meanwhile, the stepmother wondered how her stepdaughter was spending her time in the palace. Lately, every time she and her daughters caught a glimpse of her, she seemed to be happy and in blooming health. Daughters," she said, "there is something fishy here, every time we see her she is more beautiful than before. One of you must spend the night with her, and find out why."
The oldest girl volunteered. When she arrived at the palace, she simpered, "Oh, my dear sister, how are you? Since you never come to our house any more, if you do not mind, I'd like to spend tonight with you. "Of course," said the girl, "you may stay," but she knew her stepsister had come to spy on her. While they were eating and drinking, she put sleeping powders in the wine, and soon she was fast asleep. When all was quiet in the palace, she brought in the brazier, opened the window, and received the prince. As usual, he spent the whole night with her, and left in the morning.
The next morning the stepsister returned home, and reported to her mother, "We ate, we drank wine, we slept, but I didn't see anything at all." "You are stupid," said her mother, and promptly sent the second daughter to the palace. The same thing happened. Finally, the youngest and smartest of the three spoke up, "You are all idiots. Don't you realize she put sleeping powders into your wine? No wonder you didn't see anything!"
The next day, the youngest went to the palace, and was welcomed by her stepsister. When the dinner wine was placed before her she drank not a drop. As soon as her stepsister looked the other way, she threw it out the window. "I'm so sleepy," she yawned, "dear sister, I can hardly keep my eyes open. Let's go to bed now." They said goodnight, but she only pretended to be asleep. Soon she saw the prince fly through the window into her stepsister's room, saw them together, and saw him leave at dawn.
She ran home as fast as her legs could carry her. "Mother," she cried, " no wonder our sister is so beautiful The prince visits her every night. He flies into her room mounted on a bird, stays until dawn, and then flies away. Said her mother with a knowing smile, "I have a plan to change all this."
The next day, the stepmother visited her stepdaughter's palace. "How are you, my dear child?" she said putting her arms around the girl. "I have come to invite you to spend the night with us. After all, your sisters have been your guest, why not be ours? The girl thanked her for the invitation, packed her overnight bag, and left with her stepmother.
No sooner had she gone when the youngest sister arrived at the palace. Exactly like her sister, she closed the door at nightfall, scattered powders in the brazier, and called for the prince. Unfortunately, she forgot to open the window, so when the prince arrived he crashed into the window that shattered into a thousand pieces. Shards of glass lodged in his throat, and he returned home, in pain, and weak from loss of blood.
When the girl returned home she realized that something had gone wrong in her absence. Rumors reached her that the prince was gravely ill. Disturbed by the news, she dressed as a pilgrim, and went to look for him. All day she walked, but as night fell she found herself in the middle of a dense forest. As she prepared her bed under a huge, leafy tree, she heard two doves overhead talking to one another.
Now, this girl understood bird language, and stopped to listen. Said one dove to the other, "Did you know that the prince of Argel is gravely ill? They say he used to visit a girl regularly, but one night she forgot to open the window, and he dashed against it. Poor man, glass shards lodged in his throat, and the doctors say there is no cure, and he will surely die."
"But listen closely, there is a cure," he said, "only I'm afraid to tell you. Someone might overhear us, and that would be bad for us." "But who could possibly hear us in this dense wood," asked the second dove, "and besides who understands bird language?" "You're right," said the first bird. "I have been told by our elders that we can cure him. Unfortunately, first they will have to kill us both then dip our feathers in the blood, and apply it to the prince's throat. Then the glass splinters will fly out, and he will be as good as before. Since no one knows about this remedy, nothing will be done, so let's go to sleep." When the birds stopping talking, the girl climbed the tree, killed the birds, gathered the blood in a tube, and pulled out their feathers. Then she continued down the road until she reached the city of Argel.
When she arrived king's palace, she asked to be admitted. "I can cure the prince," she said, but no one believed her. "How can you cure him", they laughed, "when the most eminent physicians in the realm have tried and failed. Besides, you are only a woman, and not even a doctor." But she insisted so much that they let her in. Once inside, she asked to be left alone with the sick man. She took out a tube filled with bird blood, dipped the feathers in it, and rubbed them over the prince's throat. Instantly, the shards of glass fell out, and not a single one remained.
The prince, who did not recognize her, said, "You have saved my life. How can I repay you for all you have done? Whatever you ask for shall be yours, even if you want half my kingdom." "I don't want half your kingdom, your majesty," she said but please, do one thing for me; when you are angry enough to kill some one, do it for the sake of the pilgrim who saved you." Although the prince was bewildered by the strange request, he agreed.
When she returned home, she locked the palace door, scattered powders in the brazier, opened the window, and called for the prince. As usual, he flew in mounted on the bird, but he was very angry, and unsheathed his sword ready to kill her. Don't kill me," she pleaded, "for the sake of the pilgrim who saved your life." The prince was astounded on hearing these words. "How did you know," he asked, "that a pilgrim saved my life?" "I am that pilgrim," she said, "but it was my stepsister who caused your injury because she didn't open the window."
Then the prince took her back to his town, and they were married.
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