Once upon a time there were a father and a mother, who had two children. One was called Jantje, the other was called Mietje.

One day the father decided to go out of town. The father then said to Jantje, "I'm going out of town. What would you like me to bring along for you as a welcome gift?"

Jantje then said, "Father, keep your money, save your money and use it to buy bread and biscuits."

But the father said, "No, I want you to have something anyway."

"Well," said Jantje, "make it a gold watch then."

Then the father said to Mietje, "Mietje, I'm going out of town. What would you like to have as a welcome gift?"

Mietje then said, "Keep your money, save your money and use it to buy bread and biscuits."

"No," said the father, "I want you to have something anyway."

"Well," said Mietje, "make it a rose violet then."

The father went on his journey, and bought the presents, although it was a lot of trouble to purchase the rose violet. Jantje and Mietje were very pleased with their gifts. Shortly afterwards, Mietje and Jantje went for a walk, Janje with his watch and Mietje with her rose violet.

Jantje then said to Mietje, "How about swapping the rose violet for the gold watch?"

"No," said Mietje.

Then Jantje got angry and said, "I will ask you three more times, and if you don't want to oblige me, then I will kill you. The rose violet for me and the gold watch for you?"

"No."

"The rose violet for me and the gold watch for you?"

"No."

"The rose violet for me and the gold watch for you?"

"No."

Then Jantje grabbed hold of his sister, beat her to death, and buried her in the sand.

When Jantje arrived home, his father asked, "Jantje, how come your shirt is covered in blood?"

"I've been to the butcher's, watching the slaughter," Jantje said, "and then the blood splattered all over my shirt."

The father appeared to be satisfied with this answer. Not a word was said about Mietje, and it appeared that she was not even missed! For the story continues like this: Several days later, Jantje goes for a walk with his father and mother and the maid. By a mere chance, they are walking past the place where Jantje buried Mietje. And behold, on the grave is growing a rose violet.

The father sees this and says, "Look here! It has taken me so much trouble to buy a rose violet, and look, it's growing so close to home!"

The father – and now it becomes all the more apparent that Mietje is still not missed – wants to pick the rose violet to give it to Mietje when he comes home. But as soon as he touches the rose, there is a voice from the grave, saying,

"Oh father dear, oh father dear,

Let me keep this rose, by God

For Jantje killed me here, for shame.

I lie here smothered in my blood. "

Then the father says to mother, "Just you pick this flower."

When the mother touches it, there is a voice from the grave, saying,

"Oh mother dear, oh mother dear,

Let me keep this rose, by God

For Jantje killed me here, for shame.

I lie here smothered in my blood. "

Then the father says to the maid that she has to pick the flower, but also when she

touches it, the voice says,

"Oh Kaatje dear, oh Kaatje dear,

Let me keep this rose, by God

For Jantje killed me here, for shame.

I lie here smothered in my blood. "

Then Jantje is told to pick it, but then the voice speaks, with a horrifying sound:

"Oh murderer, oh murderer,

Let me keep this rose, by God

For you, you killed me here, for shame.

I lie here smothered in my blood,

Let me now keep this rose, by God. "

Now it becomes apparent that Jantje had killed Mietje. The father is furious with Jantje and lets him choose his death: either he could be drawn and quartered, or he could jump from a tall building. Jantje chooses the latter thing and dies a horrible death.