Red-rose and White-rose

Long ago there lived a King who had a wife whose name was Red-rose and a daughter whose name was White-rose. One day Red-rose went to the garden for a walk in the evening. There was a fountain in the garden. Red-rose asked the fountain "Oh! fountain am I not the most beautiful queen in this whole world". The fountain replied "Oh! indeed you are not". Red-rose asked the fountain "If not me who then?". The fountain replied it's White-rose the princesses. Red-rose became very angry and asked the fountain "How can I become the most beautiful women on earth?". The fountain replied "If you can eat the heart and liver of White-rose then you can become the most beautiful women on earth. After hearing this Red-rose went home, blind with rage and plotted to kill White-rose and eat her heart and liver and then become the most beautiful queen on earth.

That night Red-rose pretended to be severely ill and asked her servants to call the king immediately. The king came rushing and asked her what was wrong with her. Red-rose replied "Oh! king I am terribly ill and there is only one thing which can heal me but you must promise me that you will get that for me". The king after hearing this said "I can do anything for you my beloved wife. Tell me what is that thing that can heal you". The queen replied "If I get the liver and heart of White-rose my daughter, to eat, I shall be well." The king was shocked to hear this and asked for two days of time to think about it and left. He was deeply shocked and called his minister who was a very wise man to discuss the issue. When the minister came the king told him the whole story. The minister thought for a while and proposed an idea. He said "Oh king! the son of a great king has come from abroad to ask for marrying White-rose. Please agree for the marriage and send White-rose with him and don't inform anyone about this. After White-rose is gone we can give the heart and liver of a deer to the queen and lie her that this is the heart and liver of White-rose and so everything will get settled. The King was pleased to hear this and did exactly as the minister had advised him to do.

The Third day he went to his wife and gave her the heart and liver of the deer to eat; and she rose well and healthy thinking that White-rose was dead. After one year the queen went to the garden and asked the fountain "Oh! fountain am I not the most beautiful queen in this whole world". The fountain replied "Oh! indeed you are not". Red-rose asked the fountain "If not me who then?". The fountain replied it's White-rose your daughter.  Red-rose laughed and said "Oh! fountain, it is long since she was living. It is a year since I ate her heart and liver". The fountain replied "Oh queen! she is not dead. She is married to a great prince abroad.

Red-rose went to the King and said "Oh king! I feel ashamed for what I had done. I want myself to be poisoned for I had committed the sin of killing my own daughter". The King was glad to hear this for he thought Red-rose has realized her mistake and so he narrated the whole story to her. Red-rose now begged the king and said " I want to see my daughter for it is so long since I have seen her. Please take me to her". The king agreed and so Red-rose and the king went on a journey to visit their daughter. Meanwhile White-rose was informed that her parents were coming to visit her. "Oh! said she to her mother in law, my mother is coming and she will kill me". The prince too is not present as he went to the jungle for hunting for few days.

Her mother in law said "She shall not kill you for I will lock you in a room where she cannot get near you. White-rose was then locked in a room and when Red-rose came she shouted "Where are you my sweet princesses? Come to meet me". White-rose replied from inside that she cannot come out as she was locked in the room, and that she could not get out of it. Red-rose then said "Don't worry dear! Please put your little finger through the key-hole so that I can kiss it". White-rose put out her little finger and Red-rose put a poisoned stab in it, and White-rose fell dead.

The prince came home, the evening and found White-rose dead. He was in a great sorrow. He decided not to bury White-rose and so locked her in a room where nobody would get near her. The prince always kept the keys of the room with him and every night he went to the room to see White-rose. One day he forgot to take the key with him, and so the mother of the prince took the keys and got into the room. She began to turn and try to wake White-rose and while doing so she noticed the poisoned stab in her finger. She took the stab out and White-rose soon turned alive, as beautiful as ever. When the prince came home his mother said "I have a gift for you my son, that could make your life happier". The prince replied "Oh! indeed nothing could make me happier except White-rose were to come alive again". The queen replied "Well, you will find White-rose alive down there in her room".

The prince went to the room and saw White-rose was alive and he made great rejoicings, and began to kiss and hug her. The prince and White-rose lived happily. One fine day Red-rose went to the garden. She asked the fountain "Oh! fountain am I not the most beautiful queen in this whole world". The fountain replied "Oh! indeed you are not". Red-rose asked the fountain "If not me who then?". The fountain replied it's White-rose your daughter. Red-rose laughed and said "Oh! fountain, it is long since she was living for I have put the poisoned stab into her finger. The fountain replied "Oh queen! she is not dead. 

The King was away from the kingdom on a voyage so Red-rose ordered the servants to take her to White-rose's palace. She went the palace and shouted "Come down White-rose! your mother has come to see you and ask forgiveness for I came to know that you are alive. White-rose came to see her trembling with fear. Red-rose said "I am sorry for all my sins and so please forgive me. I have come to you with a precious drink". The prince who knew about the intentions of his wicked mother in law came and said "It is a custom in this country that the person who offers a drink takes a sip of it first". So White-rose put her mouth to it, and the prince struck it so that some of it went down her throat, and Red-rose fell dead. The prince and White-rose lived happily and peacefully forever.

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