A story fashioned of dreams, cobwebs and stardust. A kind women frees her step-daughter from a long imprisonment, ordered by her husband, father of the girl. By an ingenuous plan she arranges an illicit love affair between the girl and a prince which leads successfully to a formal marriage.

The king's doctor, a widower, married a second time. After the wedding he gave his wife the keys to his quarters in the king's palace. They walked from room to room, from floor to floor. "From now on, my dear, you will have the run of the house", he said, "and you may open all the doors. Then they stopped at a narrow door. "Yes," he said, "all of them, except this one." The wife promised to obey his wishes.

One day, alone in the house, and having nothing better to do, the wife was overcome by curiosity. She walked to the top floor, put the key in the lock of the forbidden door, and slowly pushed it in. There, in a corner sat a beautiful young girl. "Who are you?" she asked. "I am the doctor's daughter", the girl replied shyly. "And what are you doing here?” the woman insisted. “Since my mother died”, she said sadly, “I have had no one to protect me. My father locked me up in this room. He comes every day, brings me food and drink, and whatever else I need. But I am not permitted to leave this room. I cannot see the street, and light and airs comes in only through that tiny window near the ceiling.”

The stepmother took pity on her stepdaughter. "No, you cannot stay here any longer", she said, shaking her head. "I won't tell your father, but I have a plan that will make you free. "Listen carefully, and follow my orders, " she said. "When it gets dark, lift the trap door you see in the middle of the room. It leads directly into the prince's room below I know he will want you to stay, and remember, you must do what he asks of you. Be sure to demand a jewel in return. Then, when he falls asleep in the middle of the night, go back to your own room.

That night the girl lowered herself to the prince's room. His surprise at seeing the strange girl quickly turned to delight, for she was beautiful beyond compare. "Stay with me!" he pleaded, and held her in fond embrace. "Yes, yes," she cried, "I will do as you wish." The hours passed quickly, and finally the prince fell asleep. Quietly, and without disturbing him, she returned to her own room. On her finger was a gold ring the prince had given her as a present.

When the prince awoke the next morning and discovered that she was gone, he became ill with melancholia. His parents, alarmed at his pitiful condition, called in the doctor. After a lengthy examination, the doctor said, "It was probably nothing more than a dream", he said, "but in case it really did happen, take precautions. If the girl returns tonight, hold on to her braids. That way, she won't escape again."

The doctor's wife overheard the conversation, and devised a new plan. She purchased a wig with two long braids from the wigmaker in the marketplace, and gave it to the girl. "Put it on, she said, "but I warn you the prince will try to stop you from leaving tonight by holding on to your braids. Just slip out of the wig, and leave as you did the night before."

That night, the prince was so happy to see her, he forgot all about his illness. "I won't let you run away again," he said, "even in my sleep I'll hold on to your braids." Later that night as soon as he was asleep, she slipped out of the wig, and returned to her room. This time the prince had given her a walking stick with a gold handle.

When the prince awoke and found himself alone, his melancholia returned worse than before The doctor was called in again, but when he saw the wig he realized the girl was not a dream, but a real live person. This time," he advised the prince, "hold fast to her nightgown, and she won't be able to escape.

Again, the stepmother overheard the conversation, and devised still another plan. She made a nightgown tied with ribbons. "When you leave the prince tonight", she said, "just untie the ribbons, and slip out of the gown, and then go back to your room."

Although the prince was delighted to see the girl that night, he was suspicious, afraid she would run away again. He tried to stay awake by playing cards with her, feeding her delicious little morsels of food, and imbibing drinks with potions to keep him awake, but alas, in the middle of the night, he fell into a deep sleep. Carefully, she untied the ribbons, and wiggled out of the nightgown. This time she returned to her room with her latest present, the prince's own belt.

Now the prince was seriously ill. Everyone in the palace tried to console him, entertain him with clowns, jugglers, and music but to no avail. Even the doctor threw up his hands in defeat. "I cannot cure him," he cried in dispair. Such a disease has no cure!"

Suddenly the visits stopped. No longer did the lovers see each other. After nine months, the girl gave birth to a healthy, beautiful child. The stepmother put the baby in a basket. Placing the three gifts -- the gold ring, the walking stick with the gold handle, and the belt -- at his tiny feet, she then covered it with fragrant flowers. She hailed a little boy on the street, "How would you like to earn a little money?" she asked. "All you have to do is stand in front of the king's gate, and cry, "Flowers for love s malady". When a servant comes out, just hand her the basket of flowers, and run away.

The boy did as he was told. When a servant came out, he thrust the basket into her arms, and quickly ran down the street. The servant gave it to the queen who placed it at the prince's bedside to comfort him. Suddenly, he noticed something moving in the basket. "Mother," he cried out, "there is something alive in there. What is it?", and fell back on his pillow to weak to look for himself. His mother came running into the room thinking her son had indeed gone mad. At that moment, they heard a baby's cry. The queen removed the flowers and the three gifts -- and there was the baby, smiling up at them. "Ah," exclaimed the prince, "that is my own son", and he wept tears of joy. "But where is his mother?" he asked sadly, but no one could tell him. She was nowhere to be found.

The child grew and grew until he was seven years old. One day, his father said to him, "My son, you are old enough to help me. I must know what my people think, and how they live or I cannot govern wisely. If I ask them, they'll never tell me. But you are a child, and they will tell you the truth. Please, visit all the houses in town, and report back to me." Each day, the boy went from house to house listening to the people, poor and rich, merchant and street cleaner, talk about their troubles and their hopes.

But one day, he entered his mother's house. Ever since his birth, she had lived alone, eking out a meager living as best she could. When she saw him, she cried out, "Oh, son of my body and soul, I have not laid eyes on you since you were born." The boy ran home with the puzzling news. “Father," he said, "I saw the most beautiful woman today, and she said I was her son. How can that be?" The prince put his arms around the boy, and said, "She told you the truth. That woman is your own true mother. Now take me to her house".

When he saw her, the prince's heart leaped for joy. He brought her back to the palace, and they were married -- and they lived happily for many years.