Long ago there lived a queen who was a beautiful as she was vain. This queen had a little daughter named Blaca Flor who was also very beautiful, and grew more so every day.The queen, to satisfy her vanity, had a magic mirror which she consulted daily, asking it always, "Who is the most beautiful woman in the world?"

And the mirror would answer. "You, and you alone."

As the years went by, Blanca Flor's beauty increased daily. One day, the queen asked her mirror the usual question, but it answered, "Blanca Flor."

The queen, amazed at the mirror's answer, asked again, "Mirror, who is the most beautiful woman in the world?"

And the mirror answered again, "Your daughter, Blanca Flor."

The queen, who was cruel and spiteful, was angry, and decided to have Blanca Flor killed.

She called a trusted servant who had oftentimes carried out her evil orders, and she said to him, "Juan, Blanca Flor must be killed."

"But your Majesty...," said the servant in surprise.

"Not a word more!" exclaimed the queen. "Tomorrow, early, I want you to take Blanca Flor into the forest and there kill her. I also want proof of your obedience."

The next day Juan invited Blanca Flor to cut flowers in the forest. While they walked, Juan was filled with pity for the maiden and, unable to bear the thought of what he had to do to her, he told Blanca Flor all.

"My princess, your mother has ordered me to kill you. Since you have always been good and kind to me, I can't harm you. Nevertheless, if I return to the palace without proof of your death, the queen will order my execution. However, I have thought of a way in which we may fool the queen. Give me some of your garments; I will kill a rabbit and with its blood stain them. Then I will take them to the queen."

When he had done all this, Juan told Blanca Flor, "Now, go with God."

Blanca Flor thanked Juan; then she walked deeper into the forest. As the day came to an end, she began to hear the night creatures stirring. With each step she took, the fear of these beasts increased. Suddenly, she saw a light. Blanca Flor ran towards it and soon came to a grass-thatched hut. The princess knocked on the door but nobody answered. she knocked again; nobody answered. Fear made her open the door and go into the hut, and there in the middle of the room was a table set with food and drink. Blanca Flor was so hungry that, sitting down at the table, she first ate; then gave thanks to God. The food made her drowsy, so she stretched out near the stove and went to sleep.

The hut which Blanca Flor had found belonged to a band of robbers. At dawn the highwaymen arrived, and imagine their surprise on finding a young and beautiful girl asleep near the stove in their house.

The noi

se the bandits made awoke Blanca Flor.

"Don't be afraid, girl," said the robber-chief. "We won't harm you."

The chief meant this. The highwaymen were kind-hearted and stole only from the rich to give to the poor.

When Blanca Flor saw that the thieves were good and kind-hearted, she told them of her mother's cruelty.

"You can stay here with us," said the robber-chief. "We alread know how cruel the queen is. But be careful, for if she finds out that you are alive, she will again try to kill you."

Meanwhile, Juan had returned to the palace. There he showed the queen the blood-stained garments. Oh! the queen was so happy with this proof of Blanca Flor's death. She rewarded Juan lavishly.

That night in her bedroom the queen consulted her magic mirror.

"Magic mirror, who is the most beautiful woman in the world?"

And the mirror answered, "Your daughter Blanca Flor."

Pale with anger, the queen called the guards and ordered them to bring Juan immediately.

"Juan," said the queen, "You have lied to me. Blanca Flor is alive."

"But your majesty..." began Juan. Before he could continue, the queen launched herself on the poor man and stabbed him to death on the spot.

That night the queen couldn't sleep, thinking of how she could find Blanca Flor and kill her.

The following day the queen disguised herself as a peasant, altering her face with magic creams and so changing her looks that nobody recognized her. Then, in a cunningly carved silver coffer, she placed an enchanted golden necklace. Anyone who wore this necklace would immediately fall into a death-like sleep.

The queen left the palace and soon came to the forest. She walked into the woods and at last arrived at the hut where Blanca Flor was living.

The girl was alone in the hut when she heard a knock at the door. She looked out of the window and saw a sweet old lady. Thinking the old woman was harmless, she opened the door.

"Child," said the old queen, "I wish you would be kind enough to give me a glass of water. I'm very tired and very thirsty."

"Come in, Señora," answered Blanca Flor, and running into the kitchen she brought the glass of water.

The queen drank the water, thanked Blanca Flor, and said:

"Niña, I have to go now, but since you have been so kind, I am going to give you this golden necklace."

"Thank you, Señora," said Blanca Flor, taking the necklace and placing it around her throat. As soon as Blanca Flor fastened the clasp, she fell to the floor as if dead.

Leaving her daughter right where she had fallen, the evil queen fled back to her palace.

That evening when the theives returned they found Blanca Flor seemingly

dead. They did all they could to revive the girl, but all their attempts were useless.

The bandits loved Blanca Flor so much that they decided to build a crystal coffin for her. This the robbers then placed in a cave that was near the hut so that they could go and see Blanca Flor every day.

Time passed and one very rainy day a prince took refuge from the weather in the cave where Blanca Flor was lying. When the prince's servants lit torches, they saw Blanca Flor in her crystal coffin. Immediately the prince fell in love with her. He thought that the beautiful girl was dead, but ordered that the coffin be taken to his kingdom. There he built a beautiful chapel and in it placed Blanca Flor.

One day the sexton in charge of Blaca Flor's chapel fell sick and another took his place. The new one liked to steal things, and seeing the magic necklace, he decided to take it.

Very carefully the new sexton removed the necklace from Blanca Flor. A thunderclap was heard and she awoke. The sexton, terrified, ran out screaming. Hearing all this noise, the prince ran to the chapel, where he found Blanca Flor sitting in her coffin. The girl, when she saw the prince, fell in love with him.

Blanca Flor told the prince all that happened to her. The prince then raised an army and went and punished Blanca Flor's mother.

Then Blanca Flor and the prince were married and lived happily ever after.