Week 2 Story: The Tale of Threes
Once upon a time, there lived in a modest cottage a mother and her three daughters. The mother had heard that there was to be a market in the neighboring town. She approached each of her daughters and asked them what they would like. "I want all the prettiest jewelry," the eldest daughter Ann replied. "I want all the decadent food," the middle daughter Emma exclaimed. "I only want three roses," stated the youngest daughter Mary.
So off the mother went to the neighboring town. She was greeted by the vibrant colors, enticing smells, and bustling crowd of the market. She traveled from stall to stall, searching for everything her daughters requested, and slowly lost track of time. As night fell and the shopkeepers began to store their wares, the mother decided it was time to head home. "My daughters must be worried," she thought and in a hurry, took the wrong turn. The longer she walked, the longer the road seemed to wind before her. Just as she was about to return in the direction she had come from, she pricked her finger on something sharp. Exclaiming in pain, she leaned forward to take a closer look. "Ah, roses! I knew I forgot something," she thought, as she began picking the flowers for Mary.
In her excitement, she failed to notice the animals of the forest growing silent, retreating into the distance. She failed to notice the wind coming to a sudden halt, the air becoming stale. She failed to notice the shadow looming above her until it emitted a low growl, like a rumbling earthquake. She looked upwards in horror at the most dastardly creature she had ever laid her eyes upon. Three enormous heads towered over her and with each ragged breath they took, the trees shuddered violently. As the beast opened its jaws and exposed its razor sharp canines, her blood ran cold.
"You have committed a grave mistake. I am owed flesh and blood for your insolence. Bring one of your daughters to me by nightfall tomorrow and escape the wrath that will undoubtedly follow if you do otherwise," the monster's voice thundered over the unmoving forest.
Trembling like a leaf and tripping over her own feet, the mother ran until she could no longer feel the fiery red eyes on her back. As she stumbled, exhausted, into her cottage, she was met with her daughters rushing forward to support her. "Mother! We were just about to alert the neighbors," exclaimed Ann. "What took you so long?" questioned Emma. Before the mother could force out words through her sobs, Mary spoke up. "Look at her finger, it's so badly bruised!" Indeed, the finger that had been pricked by the rose had grown black and shriveled, tendrils of the same dark poison extending onto her palm and snaking up her wrist.
"It's the beast," the mother sobbed, "he promised a terrible wrath if I did not offer one of my daughters to him as punishment for picking his roses." Ann and Emma each presented a case for why she should be the one to go. Mary spoke up, "It is my duty, I must. It was for me that mother picked those flowers. Fear not for my safety, dear sisters and mother, for I have a plan to keep my life intact."
The following afternoon, the family began the long trek to the beast's dwelling. They followed the trail of items that fell from the mother's sack in her panic. When her mother caught sight of the thorny roses from the previous night, she rushed forward. In the daylight, she could see that the roses were part of a vast garden and in the distance stood an enormous castle, with vines snaking up its side.
"Here we must part," said Mary, "I will seek out the beast myself, lest he take all of you captive." Her sisters and mother said their goodbyes and retreated sorrowfully into the forest. Mary approached the massive wooden doors of the castle and announced her presence. The old doors creaked open, allowing Mary entry into the dark, filthy hall beyond. She was met with the horrifying sight of the three-headed creature emerging from the gloom. "You will serve me and nurse me for three days and after the last day, I will devour you whole. Accept your fate now, for I am feared far and wide and you cannot seek help elsewhere."
So Mary did exactly as the beast bade. She served him and nursed him for three days without complaint, misery shrouding her features. On the last day, as the sun fell beyond the horizon and the beast slumbered, Mary snuck into the garden and plucked three roses, being careful not to prick her finger on any of them. She plucked out the thorns and ground them into a fine powder that she then stored in a pouch.
Slowly, the beast rumbled awake and ordered Mary to approach him. "You have served me well but the time has come for me to feast upon your flesh," growled the monster. Before the beast could react, Mary lunged forward emptied the contents of her pouch on the beast's central head. The bruises formed quickly and blackened the beast's matted fur, descending over his eyes and causing him to howl in pain. Mary stumbled backwards and waited with bated breath and fear in her lungs for the next step of her plan to fall into place. Just as she was about to lose hope, her sisters jumped from the shadows, driving thorny rose stems into the red eyes of the beast's adjacent heads. With a great bellow, the beast fell to the ground and shuddered as its last breath departed from its body.
The following months were spent cleaning up the once magnificent castle and tending to its sweeping gardens. Travelers came from far and wide to hear the story of the brave sisters who thereupon came to be known as the Three Roses.
Author's Note: I tried to incorporate more descriptive details, particularly about the setting and the emotions the characters were experiencing. I did, however, maintain the overall narrative structure of the story. I felt that the original story lacked an ample role for Mary's sisters to play so I tried to bring them to the forefront as well. The most important change I made was that of Mary's character. While she is considerate and brave, she is also intelligent and shrewd. She is very much capable of outwitting the beast instead of succumbing to its commands.
Bibliography. "Three Roses" from The Key of Gold by Josef Baudis. Web Source.
So off the mother went to the neighboring town. She was greeted by the vibrant colors, enticing smells, and bustling crowd of the market. She traveled from stall to stall, searching for everything her daughters requested, and slowly lost track of time. As night fell and the shopkeepers began to store their wares, the mother decided it was time to head home. "My daughters must be worried," she thought and in a hurry, took the wrong turn. The longer she walked, the longer the road seemed to wind before her. Just as she was about to return in the direction she had come from, she pricked her finger on something sharp. Exclaiming in pain, she leaned forward to take a closer look. "Ah, roses! I knew I forgot something," she thought, as she began picking the flowers for Mary.
In her excitement, she failed to notice the animals of the forest growing silent, retreating into the distance. She failed to notice the wind coming to a sudden halt, the air becoming stale. She failed to notice the shadow looming above her until it emitted a low growl, like a rumbling earthquake. She looked upwards in horror at the most dastardly creature she had ever laid her eyes upon. Three enormous heads towered over her and with each ragged breath they took, the trees shuddered violently. As the beast opened its jaws and exposed its razor sharp canines, her blood ran cold.
"You have committed a grave mistake. I am owed flesh and blood for your insolence. Bring one of your daughters to me by nightfall tomorrow and escape the wrath that will undoubtedly follow if you do otherwise," the monster's voice thundered over the unmoving forest.
Trembling like a leaf and tripping over her own feet, the mother ran until she could no longer feel the fiery red eyes on her back. As she stumbled, exhausted, into her cottage, she was met with her daughters rushing forward to support her. "Mother! We were just about to alert the neighbors," exclaimed Ann. "What took you so long?" questioned Emma. Before the mother could force out words through her sobs, Mary spoke up. "Look at her finger, it's so badly bruised!" Indeed, the finger that had been pricked by the rose had grown black and shriveled, tendrils of the same dark poison extending onto her palm and snaking up her wrist.
"It's the beast," the mother sobbed, "he promised a terrible wrath if I did not offer one of my daughters to him as punishment for picking his roses." Ann and Emma each presented a case for why she should be the one to go. Mary spoke up, "It is my duty, I must. It was for me that mother picked those flowers. Fear not for my safety, dear sisters and mother, for I have a plan to keep my life intact."
The following afternoon, the family began the long trek to the beast's dwelling. They followed the trail of items that fell from the mother's sack in her panic. When her mother caught sight of the thorny roses from the previous night, she rushed forward. In the daylight, she could see that the roses were part of a vast garden and in the distance stood an enormous castle, with vines snaking up its side.
"Here we must part," said Mary, "I will seek out the beast myself, lest he take all of you captive." Her sisters and mother said their goodbyes and retreated sorrowfully into the forest. Mary approached the massive wooden doors of the castle and announced her presence. The old doors creaked open, allowing Mary entry into the dark, filthy hall beyond. She was met with the horrifying sight of the three-headed creature emerging from the gloom. "You will serve me and nurse me for three days and after the last day, I will devour you whole. Accept your fate now, for I am feared far and wide and you cannot seek help elsewhere."
So Mary did exactly as the beast bade. She served him and nursed him for three days without complaint, misery shrouding her features. On the last day, as the sun fell beyond the horizon and the beast slumbered, Mary snuck into the garden and plucked three roses, being careful not to prick her finger on any of them. She plucked out the thorns and ground them into a fine powder that she then stored in a pouch.
Slowly, the beast rumbled awake and ordered Mary to approach him. "You have served me well but the time has come for me to feast upon your flesh," growled the monster. Before the beast could react, Mary lunged forward emptied the contents of her pouch on the beast's central head. The bruises formed quickly and blackened the beast's matted fur, descending over his eyes and causing him to howl in pain. Mary stumbled backwards and waited with bated breath and fear in her lungs for the next step of her plan to fall into place. Just as she was about to lose hope, her sisters jumped from the shadows, driving thorny rose stems into the red eyes of the beast's adjacent heads. With a great bellow, the beast fell to the ground and shuddered as its last breath departed from its body.
The following months were spent cleaning up the once magnificent castle and tending to its sweeping gardens. Travelers came from far and wide to hear the story of the brave sisters who thereupon came to be known as the Three Roses.
Author's Note: I tried to incorporate more descriptive details, particularly about the setting and the emotions the characters were experiencing. I did, however, maintain the overall narrative structure of the story. I felt that the original story lacked an ample role for Mary's sisters to play so I tried to bring them to the forefront as well. The most important change I made was that of Mary's character. While she is considerate and brave, she is also intelligent and shrewd. She is very much capable of outwitting the beast instead of succumbing to its commands.
Bibliography. "Three Roses" from The Key of Gold by Josef Baudis. Web Source.
Hey Akansha! I enjoyed your retelling of "The Three Roses."
ReplyDeleteThe rose's poison on the mother was a great plot device that gave proper motivation for Mary to visit the Beast.
I enjoyed how you kept the Beast having a consistent character of a villain. The original story had bizarre elements to it that I think you improved upon, such as no sudden transformation from Beast to a prince.
I loved how your retelling had the three sisters' combined strength outmatch the three-headed Beast. It reminded me of other stories where the bonds between people triumph great evil. I can't imagine a more fitting end for the Beast's poison to be part of his undoing.
I loved how you changed the meaning of the title, "The Three Roses" from three flowers to three brave young women.
Akansha,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your retelling of this story! I had read it before and I think you really improved the story. By adding more descriptive details and adding more to the sisters' roles, I felt like the story was amplified. I honestly think this story could be made into a short film. I liked how you strayed away from the beast turning into a prince. I think the original story reminded me a lot of Beauty and the Beast, and so your rendition allowed us to experience a new story.
Hi Akansha!
ReplyDeleteI loved your rendition of the story a lot! I especially enjoyed how you elaborated on the sisters working together to defeat the Beast, which slightly deviated from the original story. When reading these stories, I don't want a simple retelling, but rather I like when the author takes creative liberties, as you did here. I look forward to reading more of your stories, as you definitely have a knack for storytelling!
Hey Akansha! I enjoyed your retelling of The Three Roses!
ReplyDeleteI like your change of incorporating Mary's sisters more into the story! I like that in your version, her sister helped her take out the beast and out witting him. I also like how the Three Roses was actually Mary and her sisters and not because Mary asked for three roses from her mother.
I wondered what made you choose to make Mary's sisters nice? Mostly story will make them out as the villains, but you choose a different way and weaved them into the origin on the title in a way.
I wondered if they all lived in the castle afterwards. If I was them, I would defiantly move in.
I wanted to give kudos to the detail and diction you put into the story. I really held my interest from start to finish! I like how the story progessed and unveils itself.
Hi Akansha,
ReplyDeleteI liked the new story you told from the original three roses story we all read. The addition of the roses being poisonous added an interesting touch to the story, I was confused why they were until the end with the killing of the beast. I also liked that you added a more family central element with the mother and daughters coming to Mary's rescue at the climax of the story.