Once upon a time, a king was determined to marry a maiden as beautiful as the sun. He sent a servant to search the land, but no one met his standard.
One day, the tired servant came to a tiny house and asked for water. It was passed through a lattice by a hand so soft and white that he thought it must belong to a lovely maiden. He reported this to the king, who ordered him to return and see her.
The servant went back and, through the lattice, asked who lived there. A voice replied, "My sister and I. We are poor girls." When asked their ages, the voice said, "I am fifteen, and she is twenty."
The king chose the "fifteen-year-old" and sent for her. The occupant agreed to come but warned that sunlight would turn her skin black, so she must travel in a closed carriage. The king sent his golden carriage.
That evening, a heavily veiled figure arrived. The king asked to see her face, but she refused, saying the light would turn her black. Believing her, the king married her without lifting the veil.
Alone at last, he lifted a corner of the veil and discovered a wrinkled old woman. Enraged, he threw her out the window. Her clothes caught on a nail, leaving her hanging.
As she dangled, four fairies passed by. Instead of harming her, they blessed her with youth, beauty, wisdom, and a tender heart, transforming her into the world's most beautiful maiden.
The next morning, the king saw her and was filled with remorse. He rescued her, begged forgiveness, and held a great feast in her honor.
Days later, her ninety-year-old sister visited the palace. Seeing the young queen, she demanded to know the secret of her youth and beauty. Annoyed, the queen said, "I had my old head cut off, and a new one grew."
The old woman went to a barber and demanded he cut off her head so she could become young and lovely. Despite his warnings, she insisted. The barber, who had been to France, said, "Il faut souffrir pour être belle" (One must suffer to be beautiful), and with a second blow, her head rolled off. She was dead for good.