Long ago a beautiful but vain queen had a daughter she called Blanca Flor. Like her mother, the child was a beauty. Every day the queen looked into her daughter's sparkling eyes and smiled, but as the girl grew, the queen began to fret. She worried that people would admire her daughter more than they admired her, and this thought she could not bear.
Every day the queen asked her magical mirror one question. "Who is the most beautiful woman in the world?" And every day the magical mirror answered, "Your majesty is the most beautiful woman in the world."
This pleased the queen, but with each passing day she saw that Blanca Flor was becoming more lovely. Then one day the queen asked her mirror her question, and the mirror answered, "Blanca Flor is the most beautiful woman in the world."
The queen was enraged, and she called to her most faithful servant and commanded, "Take Blanca Flor into the forest and kill her."
This man had done many things to satisfy his queen's vanity, but he loved Blanca Flor. As beautiful as the girl was outside, she was more beautiful inside. So he shook his head. "I cannot do as you ask ..." he began.
The queen raged. "You shall do as I say!"
And so the servant led Blanca Flor into the forest, but as they walked, he wept.
"Que pasa?" Blanca Flor asked. "Why do you cry?"
"I cannot do the queen's bidding," the servant began, and he poured out his heart. "But if I do not bring her proof of your death, she will have me killed."
And so the servant and Blanca Flor concocted a plan. They killed a rabbit and spread its blood upon Blanca Flor's shawl. This the servant would take to the queen as proof of the girl's death.
When the servant left her, Blanca Flor wandered alone and heartbroken. The sounds of the forest frightened her, as did its darkness, but then she saw a light ahead, and she ran toward it.
There she found a tiny hut, and inside a light shone. Blanca Flor knocked on the door, and when no one answered, she knocked again. When she saw the door was unlocked, she gingerly pushed it open. She walked inside to find a table spread with food and drink.
By this time she was starving, so she began to eat, and when she was full, her eyes felt heavy. She lay down beside the still-warm stove, closed her eyes and fell fast asleep.
Now this hut belonged to a band of thieves who arrived home just before dawn. Startled by the sight of this beauty fast asleep on their floor, they leaned closer, and their hearts nearly melted. The men helped those in need. They stole from the rich and gave to the poor, and the sight of this girl, so alone and vulnerable, touched them.
One of the men gently touched her shoulder. "Child," he said softly. "Who are you?"
Blanca Flor quickly woke.
"Don't be afraid," the thief said, and Blanca Flor could see the kindness in his eyes, so she told them her tale.
The thieves offered Blanca Flor protection. They promised the queen would never know she was alive, and she would have a home with them.
A few days later, at the palace, the queen asked her mirror, "Who is the most beautiful woman in the world?"
"Blanca Flor is the most beautiful," answered the mirror.
The queen shrieked and called for her servant to be sent to prison. Then, disguised as an old woman she walked into the forest. She carried an enchanted necklace. Anyone who put this necklace on her neck would fall at once into a death-like sleep.
When the queen came to the little hut, she knocked upon the door and was secretly delighted when Blanca Flor answered.
The queen smiled. "Dear girl, would you offer a poor old woman a drink of water, please?"
Not recognizing her mother, Blanca Flor welcomed her inside and gave her water, fruit and bread.
"Nina, you are so kind," the queen said slyly. "Please take this necklace as thanks," and she placed it around Blanca Flor's neck.
Blanca Flor fell to the floor, and the queen fled.
When the thieves found their dear girl, they tried to revive her, but nothing worked. She was alive still; they could hear her breathing. But she was lost in a deep sleep, and in their grief, they built her a crystal coffin. "We shall place her here so that we can watch her always," they said. But they did not dare leave the coffin here; the queen had discovered their hideaway. And so they carried the coffin to a nearby cave where it would be safe.
One day a prince happened to be traveling through that forest when the skies opened, and a heavy rain poured down. To stay dry the prince ducked into the cave, and when he saw the beautiful Blanca Flor lying in her crystal coffin, he fell instantly in love.
"We shall take this coffin to my palace and place it in the chapel," the prince declared. His servants tried to argue, but the prince insisted, and after that he visited his sleeping beauty every day. And every night he prayed that one day she might wake.
One day the chapel sexton was ill, and a new man came to the chapel to guard the doors. When he saw the sleeping girl, he noticed at once the beautiful necklace and was overcome with greed. "Who would notice if her necklace were gone?" he thought, and he unclasped and lifted it from Blanca Flor's neck.
Instantly she opened her eyes, for the spell was broken. The terrified man ran away, and when the prince walked into the chapel and saw his beloved was awake, he bent down on one knee and asked her to be his bride.
Blanca Flor loved the prince in return, and so she agreed. And the prince sent his army to punish the terrible queen.
From that day on Blanca Flor and her prince lived happily ever after.
Every day the queen asked her magical mirror one question. "Who is the most beautiful woman in the world?" And every day the magical mirror answered, "Your majesty is the most beautiful woman in the world."
This pleased the queen, but with each passing day she saw that Blanca Flor was becoming more lovely. Then one day the queen asked her mirror her question, and the mirror answered, "Blanca Flor is the most beautiful woman in the world."
The queen was enraged, and she called to her most faithful servant and commanded, "Take Blanca Flor into the forest and kill her."
This man had done many things to satisfy his queen's vanity, but he loved Blanca Flor. As beautiful as the girl was outside, she was more beautiful inside. So he shook his head. "I cannot do as you ask ..." he began.
The queen raged. "You shall do as I say!"
And so the servant led Blanca Flor into the forest, but as they walked, he wept.
"Que pasa?" Blanca Flor asked. "Why do you cry?"
"I cannot do the queen's bidding," the servant began, and he poured out his heart. "But if I do not bring her proof of your death, she will have me killed."
And so the servant and Blanca Flor concocted a plan. They killed a rabbit and spread its blood upon Blanca Flor's shawl. This the servant would take to the queen as proof of the girl's death.
When the servant left her, Blanca Flor wandered alone and heartbroken. The sounds of the forest frightened her, as did its darkness, but then she saw a light ahead, and she ran toward it.
There she found a tiny hut, and inside a light shone. Blanca Flor knocked on the door, and when no one answered, she knocked again. When she saw the door was unlocked, she gingerly pushed it open. She walked inside to find a table spread with food and drink.
By this time she was starving, so she began to eat, and when she was full, her eyes felt heavy. She lay down beside the still-warm stove, closed her eyes and fell fast asleep.
Now this hut belonged to a band of thieves who arrived home just before dawn. Startled by the sight of this beauty fast asleep on their floor, they leaned closer, and their hearts nearly melted. The men helped those in need. They stole from the rich and gave to the poor, and the sight of this girl, so alone and vulnerable, touched them.
One of the men gently touched her shoulder. "Child," he said softly. "Who are you?"
Blanca Flor quickly woke.
"Don't be afraid," the thief said, and Blanca Flor could see the kindness in his eyes, so she told them her tale.
The thieves offered Blanca Flor protection. They promised the queen would never know she was alive, and she would have a home with them.
A few days later, at the palace, the queen asked her mirror, "Who is the most beautiful woman in the world?"
"Blanca Flor is the most beautiful," answered the mirror.
The queen shrieked and called for her servant to be sent to prison. Then, disguised as an old woman she walked into the forest. She carried an enchanted necklace. Anyone who put this necklace on her neck would fall at once into a death-like sleep.
When the queen came to the little hut, she knocked upon the door and was secretly delighted when Blanca Flor answered.
The queen smiled. "Dear girl, would you offer a poor old woman a drink of water, please?"
Not recognizing her mother, Blanca Flor welcomed her inside and gave her water, fruit and bread.
"Nina, you are so kind," the queen said slyly. "Please take this necklace as thanks," and she placed it around Blanca Flor's neck.
Blanca Flor fell to the floor, and the queen fled.
When the thieves found their dear girl, they tried to revive her, but nothing worked. She was alive still; they could hear her breathing. But she was lost in a deep sleep, and in their grief, they built her a crystal coffin. "We shall place her here so that we can watch her always," they said. But they did not dare leave the coffin here; the queen had discovered their hideaway. And so they carried the coffin to a nearby cave where it would be safe.
One day a prince happened to be traveling through that forest when the skies opened, and a heavy rain poured down. To stay dry the prince ducked into the cave, and when he saw the beautiful Blanca Flor lying in her crystal coffin, he fell instantly in love.
"We shall take this coffin to my palace and place it in the chapel," the prince declared. His servants tried to argue, but the prince insisted, and after that he visited his sleeping beauty every day. And every night he prayed that one day she might wake.
One day the chapel sexton was ill, and a new man came to the chapel to guard the doors. When he saw the sleeping girl, he noticed at once the beautiful necklace and was overcome with greed. "Who would notice if her necklace were gone?" he thought, and he unclasped and lifted it from Blanca Flor's neck.
Instantly she opened her eyes, for the spell was broken. The terrified man ran away, and when the prince walked into the chapel and saw his beloved was awake, he bent down on one knee and asked her to be his bride.
Blanca Flor loved the prince in return, and so she agreed. And the prince sent his army to punish the terrible queen.
From that day on Blanca Flor and her prince lived happily ever after.
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