Two sisters, Janny and Rose, were playing happily by a riverbank.
While running towards the foot of a hill, they suddenly saw a large brown bear standing before them. Terrified, they turned to flee.
"Please don't run! I won't hurt you. I am a man, not a bear," the bear called out. The girls watched as the bear stood up and its fur fell away, revealing a tall, handsome young man. "It is my fortune to meet you," he said. "You can save me."
"Who are you? How can we save you?" they asked.
"I am Scoff," he replied. "My parents do not know I am under a spell. They search for me, but I cannot speak to them. Let me explain."
"I was once a prince," the young man began. "One day, as I played by this river, an old woman approached. She spoke soothing words and threw a brown coat over me, transforming me into this bear. She declared, 'Only when you meet two girls by this river, and one agrees to be your wife, will you become human again.' Today, my luck has changed. If one of you is willing to marry me, you can break the spell."
The sisters' faces flushed. The younger sister, Rose, spoke up: "If it will save you, I will be your wife."
"Thank goodness!" the prince exclaimed. "Now we are as brother and sisters, and the witch's power over me is broken. Let us return home. My parents will be overjoyed."
The prince led the two sisters to his home. In time, he became king, and they all lived happily.