I woke with a start. What a strange dream, I thought to myself. I looked out the window and saw that the sun had begun to rise. Mother will be leaving soon. I slipped out of bed and went downstairs to start breakfast so that she would have something to eat before she headed out. I always hated to see her go, but being a single mom didn't leave many options when it came to work. So, she had to travel a lot. My mother came downstairs and soon my two older sisters followed.
"Good morning girls," she said. "Would you like me to bring you back anything from the trip?"
"I want a pearl necklace," said Priscilla. She was the oldest.
"I want a sparkling broach," said Abigale. She was the second child.
"And what about you Mary? Do you want anything?" My mother asked me, the youngest.
"I have everything I could possibly need, but if you insist on bringing gifts I will accept three roses," I responded.
Soon after my mother departed on her trip. This trip was supposed to shorter than many of her others. She estimated that she would be back by the next evening. So, for the rest of that day and the next I went on like I would any other day. Evening came and mother still had not arrived. I tried not to worry because sometimes she returned a little later than she anticipated, so I decided to wait until morning to panic.
The next morning I awoke to the sound of my mother frantically calling my name. "Mary! Mary," she exclaimed. "I have had the most horrific night!"
She then went on to tell me the story of why she had been late returning home. It was quite unbelievable. She said that she had left late and didn't make it out of the woods before nightfall. So, she got lost and couldn't find her way out. However, she happened to stumble onto a beautiful castle with a splendid garden. So, she decided to pick me some roses. She had just plucked the third rose from the bush when she heard a low voice. She turned to see a basilisk standing behind her. She was terrified and explained that the roses were for me and that she was sorry for seemingly stealing them. The basilisk then demanded that she give me to it in exchange for the flowers or he would tear her to pieces. My mother, not knowing what else to do, agreed and quickly returned home.
Her story was no doubt extravagant, but I would do anything for her and told her to take me to this basilisk. Once we arrived at the castle, I said goodbye to my mother and made my way inside. The basilisk quickly greeted me. "Now that you are here you must cook for me, clean my quarters, and help me bathe everyday. Then you must sing to me until I fall asleep." There was nothing else for me to do, so I agreed. I followed this routine for weeks, but after awhile it didn't feel so tedious. It was actually nice taking care of someone.
A month had gone by and I was starting to like the basilisk. One day he came in while I was cooking and told me to cut off his head with the sword that he held in his hand. I was horrified, for I had never done such a thing. He got angry and insisted that I comply with his wishes or he would inflict serious pain, so I did as I was told.
No sooner had I unwillingly cut off his head, then a long serpent with the keys to the palace sprang forth. He asked me to cut off his head again and this time I didn't even hesitate. As soon as the blade came in contact with his neck he transformed into a handsome young prince. "This palace belongs to me," he said. "You have been kind to me this past month and I have grown quite fond of you. I would like to repay you for breaking my curse by taking your hand in marriage. If you will have me that is."
I was shocked, but I had already warmed up to him in basilisk form and seeing him as a human made those feelings turn into something more. It was easy to accept his proposal. So, we sent for my mother and sisters and had a huge wedding celebration. There was music and food and laughter and dancing. I ended the night dancing with the most handsome man in the ballroom, but this time I didn't fall through the floor. It wasn't a nightmare; it was a dream come true and we lived happily ever after.
Author's note: My story is based off of The Three Roses from the Key of Gold by Josef Baudis. The original has the same plot line except for what the basilisk asks of Mary. In the original she is supposed to nurse him for three hours a day and she only does it for three days. I thought that this was a little strange, so I changed the task required of her to something less uncomfortable. I also extended the time frame because I wanted to give her the chance to get to know the basilisk, so that when he asked her to marry him at the end there would already be some type of feelings there. It wouldn't just be an obligatory proposal. I also began my story with the ending line of the original. I did this because it felt out of place at the end, in my opinion. It was very dream like, so I wanted to build off of that. I chose the names Priscilla and Abigale because they sound a little "snotty" and based off of what they ask for, they kind of give off that vibe. I kept Mary's name the same to stick to the original story. I also chose to tell it from her perspective because I thought it gave the story a little more complexity. I chose the first image to help give an idea of what Mary was dreaming about. I chose the second image to show the beauty of the roses in the garden. I chose the third image because it was the human form of the Beast (Prince Adam) from Beauty and the Beast and because I love the detail.
Bibliography: The Key of Gold by Josef Baudis; Mythfolklore Untextbook
Image 1: Ballroom from team-eta.blogspot.com; found on Pinterest
Image 2: Three Roses by Steve Lohmueller; Steve Lohmueller Photography
Image 3: Prince Adam/ Beast by Jirka Väätäinen; "Real Life" Disney Characters
