In a trading town in France there once lived a wealthy merchant – a widower – with three daughters. The two eldest, Louise, aged eighteen, and Irma, aged seventeen, were spitting images of their deceased mother.

They were highly vain, selfish, stingy, and idle. The youngest was a fifteen-year-old girl named Rozina. She exceeded both her less good-looking sisters by her extraordinary beauty. She had a slender, graceful figure, long blond curls, clear, friendly blue eyes, a small mouth, enclosed by coral-red lips, and teeth as white as pearls. However, she excelled more for her charm than by her beauty. Like her father, she was gentle, modest, diligent, and good to all people, particularly to those in need.

Therefore, she was better loved by her father and by the people who associated with her than were her sisters. Now this grieved her elder sisters much. Consequently, they treated Rozina in an ever-disdainful manner and laughed at her piety, which they called hypocrisy, and always teased her in all sort of ways. The poor girl bore all this patiently and hoped to change and reform them by means of her goodness.

One day the father was going on a business trip and asked each of the girls what gift he should bring back with him. Louise wanted a silk dress and Irma asked for a velvet cloak bordered with fur.

"And what shall I bring you, Rozina?"

"Oh father, I have no need for anything, but if you wish to give me something anyway, then I'd prefer a rose, my favorite flower, which doesn't bloom here anymore. You may be able to obtain one yonder."

The father cordially said good-bye to his daughters and left. After a week, his business was done and so he bought the silk and velvet garments. But he could not get a rose anymore.

On his return to town – still by stage coach in those days – he asked to be taken to the large forest near town. He thereupon left the coach and went through the wood on foot. It was still early and very light and not any later than five O' clock in the afternoon. Deep in thought, he did not notice having lost the main road, which led straight to town. Instead, he had taken a side road, which went deep into the wood. Only now did he become aware of it, but he could no longer find the main road and was lost. There in front of him, he discerned a wonderful, majestic white marble magic palace amidst vast flower gardens and parks, in which ponds were rippling, fountains were rising, and enormous white marble statues stood between the tall trees and the bushes. He opened the high iron gate and entered the flower garden. Filled with admiration, he took a rapid glance at everything in passing, climbed the high, wide white marble stairs of the palace, and went through the front gallery to the main gate, which was made of iron and entirely gilded. He knocked, but no one came, and after waiting for a long time, he decided to go in through the gate, which was not locked.

Having gained access, he first entered a large vestibule and after that a large, wide corridor, which were both made out of white marble as well. As in the front gallery, there were many beautiful plants and flowers arranged on either side. He opened a heavy door made of cedar wood and entered a large gilded hall, lavishly furnished and with walls hung with valuable paintings and mirrors. It appeared to be a dining room, although the table was laid for one person only; there were several dishes, conserves, bottles of champagne, etc. Everything he had seen until now seemed very magical to him, and it was just as if he found himself in a paradise on earth here. It puzzled him, though, that no person had appeared yet – he did not even see a magical fairy, to whom he had thought all this must belong. Since he himself had become fatigued and hungry, he sat down and ate with relish. After this, he went to the flower garden to look for roses. After all, it was not any later than six O' clock yet. He walked alongside the pond, in which two beautiful white swans were floating.

In the water there also was an elegant pleasure boat, complete with oars. Over the pond, which was fairly broad, was a bridge. He crossed the bridge and sat down on a bench, which was shaded by tall beech trees. After he had rested, he walked on. He now saw a high rock, in a large pond, from which a waterfall sprang. Moving on, he saw a reservoir with goldfish in it. The park and the flower garden also contained overgrown summer houses and broad, leafy lanes. He went through a lane and arrived at a lake, in which lay a small island with a crystal summer house on it, surrounded by pretty flowerbeds. A small boat, which lay here too, enabled him to row towards the island. He went back the way he had come as soon as night began to fall, even though it was still fairly light, and he noticed that the moon had started to rise. From the park he returned to the flower garden and had a look at the greenhouses, which contained many exotic plants and flowers. He did not have much time left to admire such beauty properly, and while he was thinking again of the rose, he went outside into the garden. Passing many beautiful elegant plant and flower beds, he looked around for roses. He was filled with awe of all the splendour he had seen – even though he had only received a fleeting impression of everything we have just described, from beginning to end.

He had not even seen a quarter of the beautiful, vast pleasure gardens. Since there was no time left and he was longing for home, he saw, having arrived at the roses, that there were not many; the ones that were there, though, were of a particularly beautiful kind and of pleasant scents. He picked a large, beautiful rose. But no sooner had he picked it and was holding it in his hand, than he heard a terrible roar and saw a black figure from the palace approaching him. When the shape came closer, he saw a most hideous, large monster. Bolted to the ground by shock, the man could not flee from the monster.

When the monster stopped roaring, it said, furiously, "Thou ungrateful creature! Is this a way to behave after having enjoyed so many good things? Why of all things must you pick this beautiful rose of the few I possess? Why do you act like this, you ungrateful one? By way of penalty, you are bound here for life!"

Finally the man, who was still quivering from fear, could utter a word. He fell to his knees before the monster and asked for forgiveness. He confessed why he had picked the rose, to wit, for his daughter Rozina.

When he had confessed everything, the monster replied, "Now that you have made a candid confession, and are repenting it deeply, and also because you had not picked the rose out of ill will, but for someone else, I am prepared to release you. But only on the condition that you, when you return home, send the first member of your family approaching you here to me. This family member must then stay here instead of you, and although this person shall have a good life here, he or she may never leave this place anymore."

The merchant was thinking .... Whenever he went on a journey, he was used to being approached first by his faithful dog, and for this reason, he promised to fulfill the promise.

When the poor man, recovered from the shock, was back in the wood, he did not see the castle anymore, but noticed in confusion that he was walking on the ordinary, main road to town. Having come close to his home, he saw – to his surprise – that it was not his faithful dog, but his daughter Rozina who approached him first. He turned pale and became very sad. After having embraced him cordially, Rozina asked what was the matter with him and if he had become ill from the trip. The father replied in a friendly manner that he was not ill, but that something unpleasant had happened to him, and that he would talk about it after having rested a bit.

After both the eldest daughters had welcomed their father, they received the fine garments, which exceeded both their expectations because of their beauty and value. Consequently, they both thanked him cordially for the gifts and noticed only now that their father looked so pale and sad, and they also asked about the cause of this. Thereupon, the merchant related everything that had happened to him in the magic palace and then handed the fatal rose to his youngest daughter. She was deeply shocked by the thought that she would have to be separated from her beloved father and spend the rest of her life with a monster, on her own. However, the thought that she could serve as a sacrifice for her dear father, whom she loved so dearly and whose life she would spare – provided she went willingly – prevailed in her good heart. She accepted and was prepared to leave the next evening, although she wept in silence at the thought of the impending separation from her relatives.

The sisters had listened to everything indifferently. They were very surprised about this wonderful, magic palace and the beautiful pleasure gardens, but at the same time, they were very pleased that it had not been one of them that had been forced by fate to remain there forever. They would have wanted to go there only for a day to have a look at everything, but this was all right as well.

The next day, the separation between father and daughter was heartbreaking, and many tears were shed. But the sisters simply said farewell to Rozina and wished that she would well like the solitude. In their hearts, they were even glad that Rozina departed from them, so that they would never again be outshined in their beauty by anyone. Moreover, they would be free to do as they pleased, because their father was too busy with his business to pay much attention to them.

Rozina left sadly, following the same broad lane through the forest that her father had taken. Like him, she suddenly faced the magic palace. She opened the gate and entered, passed through the wonderful flower garden, climbed the white marble stairs, and went through the gallery to the iron gilded gate, then opened it and thus arrived in the same illuminated dining room. She was pleasantly surprised when she saw that all the plates and dishes carried her name, ROZINA, in graceful gold letters, and it puzzled her that her arrival was known here, and also that no monster had appeared yet. She ate of the delicious food and when she had finished, she rested a bit. She heard the clock strike seven. All of a sudden, she heard a roar, like from a bull, through the corridors. Doors were smashed open and finally, the monster reached the dining room door, which was opened. The hideous monster now revealed itself to her gaze. The poor girl was terror-stricken and quivered and wept with fear.

The monster, however, spoke to her in a friendly manner, "Fear not, Rozina, no harm will be done to you. I may be repulsive, but I am not ill-natured. You will surely be fatigued; come with me and I will show you to your bedroom. In order to make you feel at home here, I had already arranged to have your name printed on all the plates and cups, so that you will from now on regard everything you will find here as your own."

Rozina thereupon expressed to the monster that she had found all this very pleasant and thanked him for all his good deeds. She then followed the monster, albeit still with hesitation.

It went up the wide white marble stairs. There were densely flowered heavy carpets everywhere, on the stairs and in the hall.

In the hall, the monster opened the gilded door of a bedroom and said, "I hope you will like this room well, Rozina; in it, you will find everything you need for your dress, and I also wish you a good night's sleep."

Then the monster took its leave, after first having put the golden sconce with light in it on the mahogany table. Rozina now looked around the room; she had never seen such a beautiful bedroom, let alone ever possessed one. The wallpaper was gilded; all the furniture, the chairs, and sofas were covered with light blue silk, just like the bed curtains, and the sheets were of fine fabric. The mirror, in which she could see herself from her head to her feet, was large and wide and its frame was solid gold-and the frames of the valuable paintings hanging there were made out of gold, too. She saw another door, which she opened to see that it led into a boudoir. It was entirely covered in pale pink and contained one of the most valuable dressing tables she had ever laid eyes on. There was also a wardrobe; she looked in it and uttered a cry of surprise when she saw wonderful fine garments, which contrasted so sharply with the plain but decent clothes she was wearing. She tried something on. It became her very well. There were also many jewelled ornaments, bracelets, rings, earrings, etc., lying there. Rozina would have thought that all this belonged to a princess, were it not that she knew that all this had been given to her. In the boudoir there was another door, which led into a bathroom. She looked at it and saw that like the other rooms, it contained everything she needed. After having seen and admired everything, she went to bed. She slept well, because she was very fatigued, and she dreamt of goddesses and fairies.

Rozina awoke the following morning and saw that the sun was already shining through the windows. She dressed herself in the valuable garments and went out, and when she left the room, she noticed only now that over the doors of the three rooms, ROZINA could be read in gold letters as well. She pitied the hideous monster and admired his goodness to her.

She went downstairs. In the dining room, breakfast was ready, ever so rich and copious. After breakfast, she went into the parks and gardens. Everything she saw here seemed infinitely more beautiful to her than her father had described. After having taken a long walk, resting on a sofa or in a summer house from time to time, she went over to the palace to have a look at it from the inside. The first hall past the dining room was made out of silver with furniture beautifully covered with satin, shining like gold. On the other side there was a hall made of solid gold, including even the floor and the ceiling; here the golden furniture was covered with cherry red velvet. The third hall was shining with diamonds and precious stones. The fourth hall was a dance hall, with small, furnished rooms on the sides, which led back to the ballroom via richly covered sliding panels instead of doors. She passed through many more halls, all of which seemed to compete with each other in valuable furniture, ornaments, paintings, and so on. Finally she arrived in a garden hall made out of crystal, which contained many exotic plants; in the centre there was a reservoir with a fountain in it, which gave off fragrant odours. Rozina dipped her delicate handkerchief into it, and it became so fragrant that all the perfumes in the town were nothing compared to it.

Since it had already become midday, she went back to the dining room. Dinner was ready. To Rozina, it appeared to be a meal fit for a king, there were so many dishes, and conserves, preserves, cakes, desserts, and all sorts of fine wines. The table and all the victuals were decorated with beautiful live flowers, bouquets, flower baskets, and so on. After dinner Rozina went into the park to see the ponds. She wanted to go inside the crystal summer house on the island. Over there, she saw an elegant boat, which carried her name as well. The boat had no oars, but had gold ribbons on the front. Every ribbon had a silver swan drawn on it, which made her understand that she was supposed to hitch the two white swans floating on the water to the boat. And so she did. The animals willingly obeyed, and in a stately manner drew the boat to the island. In her beautiful pale blue silk garments, set with diamonds, with her slender and extraordinary beauty, in the boat with the two swans in front of it, Rozina looked like a wonderful water fairy, floating to her water palace.

When this water excursion was finished, Rozina went to the stables – an equally beautiful, large building. Here she encountered many beautiful breeds of horses and a sweet pony. She thought of a name for this animal and called it out of the stables. It approached her willingly and neighed cheerfully. There were also carriages of all kinds, but one of them was exactly suited for two people and ever so elegant on the front. This carriage was also the most valuable one in the collection, since it was made of gold, inlaid with diamonds. This carriage carried her name as well; the letters were formed by precious stones. Rozina could not admire it enough. She harnessed the snow-white pony to the carriage. It appeared to know the way very well, and Rozina did not have to use a whip. She drove around almost the entire estate, but the evening began to fall and she always made a habit of doing things regularly.

Just as on the previous evening, a rich and copious dinner awaited her. Rozina thought about all the beautiful things she had seen. Indeed, she began to find the surroundings so pleasant, and she enjoyed herself so much, that she would not mind about never being able to return to the human world, if only her father could be here with her, to amuse her and share her solitude. Now that she was here, she decided to make as little use of the precious halls as possible, except of her own rooms. She preferred to find her amusement outdoors.

When she could make trips in the carriage or the boat or make other outings, she felt infinitely more free and cheerful than in those magnificent but lonely halls.

The monster only visited her every evening at seven o'clock, so as not to trouble her, and took his leave again when she wished to have a rest. The multitude of gifts with which she was showered had reconciled Rozina entirely to the hideousness of the monster. She also decided to speak to him in a more friendly manner, because she did not want to seem an ungrateful girl. At seven in the evening, the monster arrived as usual. As ever, he spoke to her in a very friendly manner and asked her how she liked her surroundings. Rozina thereupon told the monster about all the wonderful things she had seen. She just could not describe how beautiful everything was to her, and for this reason, she thanked the monster very much for everything.

He replied, "I am very pleased that you like everything so much and that you are enjoying yourself so well here. Rozina, now that you are here, I want you to regard everything as your own, and therefore I appoint you as queen over everything. You will never be short of the most precious garments and jewelry, but in exchange for all this, I would kindly want to ask you something."

"Speak," said the girl, "if possible, I shall be of assistance in the matter."

Thereupon the monster begged, "Rozina, would you be my wife?"

Rozina was unpleasantly surprised by this request, because she had not in the least thought of marrying this hideous monster. Nay! She could not do it; it repelled her. It was indeed very sorrowful to her, having to refuse this request. But she said that she would be prepared to think it over. The monster bade her goodnight and went his way.

In this manner, Rozina spent her days, but every evening, the monster asked the same question, which she kept answering in the negative, whereupon the monster always left in a sad mood. After having spent a fortnight in this wonderful world, she became eager to know how her relatives at home were doing. She told the monster so in the evening. He explained to her that, if she wanted to know this, she could see it in the large mirror in her bedroom upstairs. When she went to bed, she looked in the mirror and saw that her father, even though he looked sad, and her sisters were all well – thank God! After a few days, however, she saw her father (whom she had constantly seen sad in the mirror because of her) now lying sick in bed. He was lying there very lonely. There was only a servant looking after him. Both her elder sisters were not with him. They had not changed for the better; they had little love for their father and were constantly entertaining themselves in the town. When she saw all this, Rozina wept loudly and longed ardently to be able to look after her father for a while.

At seven in the evening, the monster arrived as usual and asked again: "Rozina, will you be my wife?"

Rozina said she would think about it, but told him about what she had seen in the mirror that morning.

The monster said, "Yes, you may nurse your dear father, but you may not stay away more than seven days. By then, your father will be nursed back to health. But if you stay away longer, Rozina, I will die of grief."

She promised him she would strictly comply with all his wishes and went to bed. How surprised she was, when the next morning at her arousal, she noticed that she had slept in her own ordinary room at home. She could hardly believe her eyes and rubbed them thoroughly.

The wonderful garments with the gem stones she had been wearing the previous day were lying over a chair in the room. She dressed herself in them and went downstairs.

All her relatives were first under the impression of facing a princess and admired the elegant garments, but they could hardly believe this to be Rozina. She embraced her father cordially and also greeted her sisters. They were somewhat more amicable and friendly towards Rozina than usual, especially when she had told everything and it became clear that she could only stay for seven days. Then she gave the most precious jewels on her dress to her sisters; they both admired the beautiful gifts and were delighted with them. As a result of this, Rozina now had a more agreeable life at home than ever before. Her beloved father's condition improved remarkably, which he contributed to Rozina's presence. The week flew by; full of sadness, they were all thinking of her departure the final morning. Her father, who had a hard time being separated from his daughter again so soon, begged her to stay just a few days longer – surely, the good monster would hardly notice. Rozina yielded to the temptation and agreed.

She had already stayed the eighth day, when she dreamt about the magic palace that night. She heard crying for help, combined with awful moaning. She went to the flower garden the sound came from and saw the poor monster lying on the ground, dying, struck by an arrow through the heart. This was such a terrible shock to the girl that it woke her up.

She got dressed and told the dream to her father, who said, "Rozina, I also believe it is true; you must go and rescue the poor monster."

They embraced each other cordially and Rozina set out for the forest. Again, she suddenly stood in front of the magic palace. Immediately she rushed to the garden and saw the good monster lying there, on his deathbed indeed; she did not see an arrow, but there was a gaping wound near the heart, from which the blood was flowing.

As he was dying, the monster spoke, "Rozina, see ... this wound ... you have given me ... by your ... disobedience ... and ingratitude ... and now ... must I die ... farewell sweet Rozina ...."

Suffering from convulsions, the monster turned over. The agony of death had set in....

Rozina could not bear to watch any longer. She burst into tears, begged the monster's forgiveness for her disobedience, and full of pity and despair, she exclaimed, "I do not want you to die through my fault; please tell me how I could still help you. I will do anything for you; you have been so good to me."

The monster looked at her appealingly and hopefully, then said: "The only means to save me would be for you to marry me."

Rozina then said, "If this is the only means for me to save you and show my gratitude, I heartily wish to marry you."

And behold . . . ! Hardly had she spoken these words, than the dying monster disappeared, and in his place appeared in front of her a beautiful, slender prince, dressed in splendid silk and damask clothes, bordered with ermine, sparkling with diamonds and precious stones; on his head he was wearing a precious hat studded with jewels, with beautiful feathers hanging down from it.

In admiration, Rozina had taken some steps back, but the prince amiably took her by the hand and said, "Dear Rozina, I thank you a thousand times for saving me from death. Once upon a time a wicked fairy changed me into a monster. And I could only return to my human shape if there would be a woman who would be prepared to marry me as a monster.Then the fairy disappeared. You will be able to imagine what a sad life I was leading and Ithought that no woman would ever want to marry me in such guise. Until you, sweet Rozina, consented to it."

Rozina now was very pleased with what had happened and loved the good prince passionately.

She then went to collect her father and both her sisters and told them everything. But hardly had they all returned to the castle when they witnessed the appearance of the wicked fairy, who now changed both the vain daughters Louise and Irma into two marble pillars supporting the front gallery. By way of punishment, they had to remain standing like this forever. The wicked fairy became reconciled with the prince and the entire family. Afterwards they celebrated a splendid wedding, which lasted three days. There was a great ball, which was very magnificent, accompanied by wonderful music. This feast was attended by the father, and the prince with his bride Rozina, who was so radiant with splendour and beauty that she could be called the queen of the ball. The attending guests were the wicked fairy and many beautiful goddesses and fairies and all the noblemen and princes of the land. Everyone's beautiful, magnificent costumes were almost dazzling. No one remembered ever having celebrated such a splendid wedding. The prince and his beautiful wife, with his father-in-law, lived happily and contentedly and loved each other ardently, in permanent prosperity and peace in the magic palace.