There was once a girl, beautiful and kind, but sadly, her stepmother was a witch who tried every means to torment her.

The girl had a sweetheart named Roland. He was handsome and gentle, and he loved her dearly—the love was mutual.

However, the stepmother had a daughter of her own, who also fell for Roland and was driven mad with jealousy.

One day, Roland gave the girl a beautiful dress, and the stepmother’s daughter flew into a rage.

“Don’t worry,” the stepmother said. “Tonight, I’ll kill her! And not just the dress—Roland will be yours too!”

The girl happened to overhear this from outside the door and was terrified.

That night, she planned to escape. But how could she flee without the witch noticing?

Just then, the stepmother’s daughter barged in and snatched the dress Roland had given her.

“Only I deserve to wear what Roland gives!”

She put on the dress and walked out happily.

At that moment, she saw her mother following behind with a knife. She realized that because of the dress, her mother had mistaken her for the girl.

But this was the perfect chance to escape! The girl seized the moment, ran out of the house, and on her way out, grabbed the witch’s magic wand.

She found Roland and told him everything. Roland decided to run away with her.

Just as the stepmother was about to strike, she realized it was her own daughter—and flew into an even greater rage.

She put on her many-league boots, which allowed her to cover a thousand miles a day, and in the blink of an eye, she was about to catch up with them.

The girl quickly used the wand to turn Roland into a great lake, and herself into a swan on the lake.

The witch arrived at the lake’s edge. She knew the swan was the girl, but since she couldn’t swim, she was helpless.

The next day, Roland turned into a musician playing the lute, and the girl turned into a flower hidden in a thorn bush.

“Let’s see you escape now!” the witch growled.

She parted the thorns to pick the flower.

But just then, the musician began to play. The music was magical—anyone who heard it would be forced to dance.

The witch had no choice but to dance in the thorny bush. The thorns pricked her all over until she collapsed and died.

The girl and Roland breathed a sigh of relief.

Roland said, “I’ll return home right now and ask my father to prepare our wedding.”

The girl said, “I’ll wait for you here. To stay safe, I’ll turn into a red stone.”

But to her surprise, the witch’s daughter transformed to look exactly like her. She stopped Roland on his way, and he, believing she was his beloved, took her home and made plans to marry her.

The real girl waited and waited. She gazed into the distance every day, but Roland never came back.

One day, two people passed by, and from their conversation, she learned that Roland was getting married.

Her heart broke. In her sorrow, she turned from a red stone into a little flower.

She thought she’d surely be crushed underfoot—or perish from wind and rain.

But a shepherd saw the beautiful flower and gently picked it up, taking it home.

The girl thought, I must repay his kindness.

So every day, when the shepherd left the house, she turned back into a human and cleaned, cooked, and did the laundry for him.

From then on, whenever the shepherd returned, he’d find a delicious meal ready and the house spotless.

He was overjoyed, but also a bit frightened. Wanting to uncover the mystery, he hid one day and spied on what was happening.

He saw the flower he brought home transform into a beautiful young woman.

The girl told the shepherd her story. The shepherd grew fond of her and asked her to marry him—but she declined, saying she only loved Roland.

The shepherd was moved and promised to help her.

On Roland’s wedding day, the shepherd brought the girl to the ceremony.

Every girl was asked to sing a song. When it was her turn, and Roland heard her voice, he instantly came to his senses.

He turned to the false bride and said, “You’re an impostor! You’re the witch’s daughter! My true bride is her—not you!”

And so, Roland and the girl were finally married and lived happily ever after.