The Rose Sisters

THE ROSE SISTERS

~ by Cordites Tun

The Hag cauldron boiled an ichor of lime green slime taken from a Sea Troll's nostrils, cloaker flesh, crystals foamed in the Plane never spoken of, and the poison of a fire snake, as she dropped in pieces of a giant-sized purple worm. Her crackling filled the dimly lit cavern.

Not to far away, there lived a widower of the surname Rose, who lived in a tiny cottage. In front of the cottage was a garden stood two rose trees. One of which bore roses the colour of white snow clouds and the other bore red roses the colour of fresh cherries. He had two children whose mother had died in childbirth. One girl had skin the red of of lava and hair of dark ginger, born as a tiefling had horns the colour of ripe cherries. The other girl had white blonde hair and pale skin, born as an aasimar with wings the colour of snow clouds.
The widower had named them Cherry Red and the other Snow Cloud.

The sisters were as good and happy, as busy and cheerful as ever two children in the world of Esau were. Snow Cloud was more quiet and gentle, preferred to stroll in the forest looking at the beauty of Mielikki's creation, while she picked wild flowers and mushrooms - which she studiousily could identify. While Cherry Red liked better to run through the forest until she came to the river formed a deep pool of Eldath's creation, where she would swim, dive for flat stones and catch eels.

In the colder days of winter, Snow Cloud often sat at home with their father, reading to him when there was nothing important to do. Meanwhile, Cherry Red would adventure alone.

The two children were so fond of one another that they always held each other by the hand when they went out together, and when Snow Cloud said: 'We shall not leave each other", and Cherry Red always answered: "Never so long as we live". Their father would add: "What one has then she must share with the other". The two nodded.

They often entered the forest just the two of them and gathered berries, eatable roots, mushrooms and the like - yet no beasts did them any harm, instead came close to the sisters trustfully. The little feathered rabbits would eat a cabbage-leaf out of their hands, the doe grazed by their side, the stag leapt merrily by them, and the many birds sat still upon the boughs, and sang along with the sisters, whatever tunes they knew.

No mishaps took them from the widower. If they ever had stayed too late in the forest, and night came on, they laid themselves down near one another upon the moss, and slept until morning came, with an owl watching over them. Their father knew this and did not worry on their account.

Once when they had spent the night in the wood and the dawn had roused them, they saw a beautiful elf child in a shining white dress sitting near their bed. The elf got up and looked quite kindly at them, but said nothing and went into the forest. And when they looked round they found that they had been sleeping quite close to a precipice, and would certainly have fallen into it in the darkness if they had gone only a few steps further. On telling their father, he told them that it must have been the Meilikki who watches over the forest and good people who enter it.

Snow Cloud and Cherry Red kept their father’s little cottage so clean and tidy that it was a pleasure to look inside it. Visitors, although few, were welcomed with fresh scones and berry jam served with hot tea.

In the summer, Cherry Red took care of the house, and every morning laid a wreath of flowers by their father’s bedside table before he awoke, in which she placed a rose from each tree. In the winter, Snow Cloud lit the fire and hung the kettle on the hob. The kettle was of brass and shone like gold, so brightly was it polished. In the evenings, if both sisters were indoors, the father said: "Go, Snow Cloud, and bolt our door," and then they sat round the hearth, and the father took her spectacles and read aloud from a book of legendary heroes, and the two girls listened as they sat and spun wool. And on the floor close by them often lay a hand-raised small deer, and behind them upon a perch sat a white dove with its head hidden beneath its wings.

One winter evening, as they were sitting comfortably together, with the storm gathering outside, when someone knocked at the door as if he wished to be let in.
The father said: "Quick, Cherry Red, open the door, it must be a traveller who is seeking shelter." Cherry Red went and pushed back the bolt, thinking that it was a poor man, but it was not - it was a huge owlbear that stretched his broad, feathered head within the door, out of the dark blizzard.

Cherry Red screamed and sprang back, the deer called out, the dove fluttered, and Snow Cloud hid herself behind her father’s chair.
But the owlbear began to speak and said: "Do not fear me. I will do you no harm! I am half-frozen, and only want to warm myself a little beside your fire."

"Poor creature," said the father, "Come, lie down by the fire, only take care that you do not burn yourself." Then he called out to his daughters: "Snow Cloud and Cherry Red, come on out, the owlbear will do you no harm. He means only to get out of the storm."

So they both slowly came out, and by-and-by the small deer and dove came nearer, and were not afraid of the owlbear. The owlbear said: "Here, children, knock the snow out of my feathers a little". So they fetched the broom and swept the owlbear until clean. He stretched himself by the fire and growled contentedly and comfortably.

It was not long before all fear left the small house. Once the owlbear woke again, and had drunk some water, the sister did begin to play tricks with their clumsy guest. They tugged his feathers with their hands - not had enough to remove any, mind. They put their feet upon his back and rolled him about. The owlbear took it all in good spirits - only when they became too rough, and beat him with their hands did he called out: "Leave me alive, children."

When it was bed-time, and the sisters went to bed, the father said to the owlbear: "You can lie there by the hearth, and then you will be safe from the cold and the bad weather." As soon as day dawned the two sisters let him out, and he trotted across the snow into the forest. Massive footprints were left from their door into the forest.

From that night on, the owlbear came every evening at the same time, laid himself down by the hearth, and let the sisters amuse themselves with him as much as they liked. They got so used to him that the front door was never fastened until their massive, feathered friend had arrived.

When spring had come and all outside was green, the owlbear said one morning to Snow Cloud: "Teh time as come, when I must go away. I will not come back for the whole summer."
"Where are you going, then, dear friend?" asked Snow Cloud.
"I must go into the forest and guard my treasures from the wicked creatures. In the winter, when the earth is frozen hard, they cannot be long outside, so usually stay below and cannot work their way through the hard ground. But now, when the sun has thawed and warmed the earth, the goblins can break through it, and come out to pry and steal. What once gets into their hands, and in their caves, does not easily see daylight ever again."

Snow Cloud was quite solemn at his departure, and she was slower to unbolted the door for him. She watched as the owlbear hurried off. As he did, he caught against the heavy bolt and a piece of his feathery coat was pulled off - a few feather fell to the ground. Looking to see if he was hurt, it seemed to Snow Cloud as if she had seen gold shining through it, although she was not certain about it. The owlbear ran away quickly, and was soon out of sight behind the trees. So Snow Cloud collected up the owlbear's lost feathers, placing them in a empty jug by the door.

A few days later, the father sent the sisters into the forest to collect firewood. The forest always had plenty. Along the way through the forest, they found a big tree which lay felled on the ground, and close by the trunk something was jumping backwards and forwards in the grass - but they could not make out what it was.

When they came nearer they saw an elderly goblinoid, with an old withered face, pointed ears, and a beard a yard long. The end of the snowy white beard was caught in a crevice of the fallen tree, and the little fellow was jumping about like a dog tied to a thick rope, and did not know what to do.

The goblinoid glared at the girls with his fiery red eyes and cried: "Why are you just standing there? Come here and help me?"
"What are you up to, little man?" asked Cherry Red.
"You stupid, prying kobold!" answered the goblinoid: "I was going to split p this tree to get a little wood for cooking. The little bit of food that my people can get is too quickly burnt up with heavy logs - we chew longer and not quickly swallow so much as you, greedy folk. I had just driven the wedge safely in, and everything was going well. But then the cursed wedge was too smooth and suddenly sprang out, and the tree closed too quickly. I could not pull out my beautiful white beard - so now it is tight and I cannot get away. Rude silly, sleek things dare to laugh?" The sisters tried hard to stop their giggling.
"Ugh! You are repulsive creatures!" said the goblinoid, "If you are not going to help me, just go away!"

The sisters tried very hard, but neither of them together or together could pull the beard out, it was caught too fast.
"I will run and fetch someone",’ said Cherry Red.
"You senseless kobold!" snarled the goblinoid, "Why should you fetch someone? You are already two too many for me. Can you think of something better?"
"Do not be so impatient," said Snow Cloud, "I will help you," and she pulled her little scissors out of her pocket, and cut off the end of the beard.

As soon as the goblinoid felt himself free he grab for a bag which lay amongst the roots of the tree - which was full of gold. He lifted it up, grumbling to himself: "Uncouth people, to cut off a piece of my fine beard. Bad luck to you!" and then he swung the bag onto his back, and went off without even once looking at the sisters.
"Your welcome!" Cherry Red called after him - as if he had graciousily thanked them.

The day following the next day, Snow Cloud and Cherry Red went to catch a fish for their father to cook. As they came near the river, they saw something like a large grasshopper jumping towards the water, as if it were going to leap in. They ran to it and found it was the goblinoid.
"Where are you going?" said Cherry Red. "Surely you do not want to end up in the water?"
"I am not such a fool!" cried the goblinoid, "If you look properly you will see that the loathsome fish wants to pull me in?"

The little man had been sitting there fishing, and unluckily the wind had blown hard and tangled up his beard with the fishing-line. Only a moment later a sizable fish made a bite and the goblinoid had not strength to pull it out. The big fish kept the upper hand and pulled the goblinoid towards him and the water. He held on to all the reeds and rushes, however he kept slipping down the muddy bank. therefore, he was forced to follow the movements of the fish, and was in immediate danger of being dragged into the deepest part of the river.

The sisters had come along just in time. They both held him fast and tried to free his beard from the line - but all in vain. The beard and line were entangled fast together. There was nothing to do but for Snow Cloud to bring out the small scissors and cut the line in two places and also the beard - whereby a small part of it was lost.

When the goblinoid saw what he screamed out: "Is that civil, you toadstool, to disfigure a man’s face? Was it not enough to clip off the tip of my beard? Now you have cut off the bushiest part of it. How can I let myself be seen by my people. I wish you to be made to run the soles off your shoes!" Then he took out a sack of pearls which lay in the rushes, and without another word he dragged it away and disappeared behind a crop of stones.

It happened that the next week, the father sent the two sisters to the town with woven basket to buy seeds and seedlings. The path they followed led them across a heath upon which huge crops of rock lay strewn about. There they noticed a gaint eagle hovering in the air, flying slowly round and round above them. It circled lower and lower, and at last settled near a large rock not far away. Immediately they heard a loud, piteous cry. The sisters ran up, holding each other's hand tightly. They saw with horror that the giant eagle had seized their old acquaintance the goblinoid, and was preparing to carry him skyward.

The sisters, were full of pity. So both took a tight hold of the little man, and pulled against the giant eagle. They fought so long that at last he let his sack of booty go - a few gems tumbled across the rock.

As soon as the goblinoid had recovered from his first fright he cried with his shrill voice: "Could you not have done it more carefully! You dragged at my brown coat so that it is all torn and full of holes, you clumsy creatures!" Then he took up another sack full of precious stones, and slipped away again under the rock into his hole.

The sisters, who by this time were used to his ingratitude, went on their way and did their business in town. They were pleased with their purchases.

As they crossed the heath again on their way home they surprised the goblinoid, who had emptied out his bag of precious stones on his brown coat, and had not thought that anyone would come there so late.

The evening sun shone upon the brilliant gems - they glittered and sparkled with all colours so beautifully that the sisters stood still and stared at them.
"Why do you stand gaping there?" cried the bearded goblinoid - his ashen-grey face became copper-red with rage. He was still cursing when a loud growling was heard, and an massive owlbear came charging towards them out of the forest.

The goblinoid sprang up in a fright, but he could not reach his cave, as the sisters unknowingly stood in his way, for the owlbear was closing in.
Then in the dread in his very core he cried: ‘Dear Mr Owlbear, spare me, I will give you all my treasures - look at the beautiful jewels lying there! Grant me my life - what do you want with such a little fellow as I? I would be gone in one mouthful without touching the sides of your great stomach. Come, take these two wicked girls. They are tender morsels for you - as fat as young quails. Why not eat them instead!’ The owlbear took no heed of his words, but gave chase of the wicked creature. As he caught up to him quickly, the owlbear gave the goblinoid a single blow with his paw. Blood spatted across the rocks. He did not move again.

The girls started running home away. They only stopped at the edge of the heath when they heard the bear called to them: "Snow Cloud and Cherry Red, do not be afraid. Wait. Can I come with you?"

Then they recognized his voice and waited, and when he came up to them suddenly his owl feathers and bearskin fell off. In front of them stood a handsome man, clothed all in gold.
"I am a king’s first born son," he said, "and I was bewitched by a green hag, who had stolen my treasures and hid them away in places within the forest. That naughty goblinoid found my treasures. I have had to run about the forest as a savage owlbear until I was freed by the return of this gem." He held up a magificent amber gem. "Now that goblinoid has got his well deserved punishment, and here I stand."

They walked to the sisters home. The father was surprised to hear the tale. He was very pleased to see the Prince's interest in his daughter Snow Cloud.

Snow Cloud would marry to the first son of the King, and Cherry Red married his slightly younger brother. The King was grateful and happy to see his first born son return.

They divided the treasures found by the goblinoid between them. The old father moved into the palace with the sisters and their husbands, living peacefully and happily for many years. The father took the two rose trees with him, and they stood before his palace window. Every year the rose trees bore the most beautiful roses of white and red.

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~ based on Snow White and Rose Red by The Grimm Brothers.