Once there was a witch who had two daughters. One was ugly and mean, and the witch loved her because she was her own child. The other was beautiful and kind, but the witch hated her because she was a stepdaughter.
The mean daughter wanted her sister’s pretty apron. The witch said, "Be quiet, my child. Tonight, I will cut off her head while she sleeps. Just make sure you sleep on the far side of the bed, and push your sister to the front."
The poor stepdaughter heard this. That night, when her sister was asleep, she gently pushed the mean girl to the front of the bed and hid at the back. In the dark, the witch came and killed her own daughter by mistake.
The girl ran to her boyfriend, Roland. "We must escape!" she cried. "The witch has killed her own child, and she will be angry when she finds out."
"Take her magic wand first," Roland said. The girl took the wand. She also took three drops of blood from her dead sister and put them on the stairs, in the kitchen, and by the bed. Then the lovers ran away.
In the morning, the witch called her daughter. The drops of blood answered "I am here!" from different parts of the house. When the witch finally found her dead child, she was furious. She put on her magic boots and chased the couple.
When the girl saw the witch coming, she used the magic wand. She changed Roland into a lake and herself into a duck. The witch tried to catch the duck, but she failed and had to go home.
The next day, the witch came again. This time, the girl changed herself into a flower in a hedge and Roland into a musician with a violin. The witch asked, "Can I pick that flower?"
"Yes," Roland said, "and I will play music for you."
He played a magic song, and the witch was forced to dance. She danced through the thorns until she fell down dead.
Roland went home to prepare for their wedding, and the girl waited for him. But at home, Roland forgot her and fell in love with someone else. The poor girl waited a long time. Finally, she became a flower in a field, hoping someone would step on her and end her sadness.
A shepherd found the beautiful flower and took it home. From that day on, magic things happened in his house. Every morning, the floors were swept and the fire was lit, but he never saw anyone. He asked a wise woman for help.
"Hide in the morning," she said. "If you see something move, throw a white cloth over it."
The next morning, the shepherd saw the flower turn into a girl. He threw the cloth over her, and the spell broke. She told him her story. He asked her to marry him, but she said, "No, I must stay faithful to Roland."
Soon, it was time for Roland’s wedding to the other woman. Every girl in the village had to go and sing. When the faithful girl sang, Roland recognized her voice immediately. His memory returned, and he realized she was his true bride. He married her, and they lived happily ever after.