THE MEAN KNIGHT WHO WAS TRANSFORMED INTO A BEAR

THERE WAS A WHITE CASTLE ON A HIGH HILL IN WHICH A KNIGHT AND HIS MOTHER LIVED.
HE WAS VERY DISTINGUISHED BUT HAD A MEAN HEART. HE WAS ALWAYS WALKING SAD AND THINKING.
ONE TIME HE DEMANDED FROM HIS MOTHER THAT SHE PLANT BLUE ROSES AROUND THE CASTLE.
SPRING CAME AND WHITE ROSES STARTED TO BLOOM AROUND THE CASTLE. THEY WERE VERY PRETTY
SO THE MOTHER CALLED HER SON TO SEE THEM. WHEN THE SON CAME, HE BECAME VERY UPSET ABOUT
THE COLOR AND TOOK OUT HIS SWORD AND STARTED TO CUT DOWN ALL THE ROSES. THE POOR MOTHER
TRIED TO SAVE THEM WITH HER HAND AND TEARS CAME TO HER EYES. ONE OF THEM DROPPED ON A FLOWER
AND THE FLOWER TURNED BLUE. WIPING HER TEARS THE MOTHER SAID TO HER SON, "HERE YOU HAVE A BLUE ROSE."
ALL OF A SUDDEN AN AWFUL STORM CAME AND THE TIRED KNIGHT FELL ON THE GROUND UNCONSCIOUS. WHEN HE REGAINED
CONSCIOUSNESS, THERE WAS NO CASTLE AND HE HAD TURNED INTO A BEAR. FROM THAT TIME HE MADE HIS HOME
IN THE FOREST SO HUMAN EYES COULDN'T SEE HIM. HE BUILT HIMSELF A LOG CABIN AROUND WHICH HE PLANTED
BLUE ROSES. ONE TIME A STRONG WIND CAME AND BLEW A PETAL TO A POOR FARMER BY THE FOREST WHO HAD TWO
DAUGHTERS, HELEN AND MARY. THEY WERE QUITE ATTRACTIVE. THE YOUNGER, GIRL, HELEN, PICKED UP THE FLOWER
PETAL AND WAS SURPRISED ABOUT ITS BEAUTY SO SHE HID IT FOR HERSELF. THE PETALS NEVER WILTED AND
ALWAYS SMELLED NICE. SHE WAS YEARNING ABOUT THE BLUE ROSES UNTIL SHE BECAME ALMOST ILL AND SHE WAS
PRESSURING HER FATHER TO FIND HER SOME. HER DAD WENT LOOKING FOR THEM AND AFTER A LONG JOURNEY HE
FOUND THE BEAR'S HOUSE SURROUNDED WITH THE BLUE ROSES. HE STARTED TO PICK THEM UP AND AT THAT MOMENT
THE BEAR CAME OUT OF THE HOUSE. HE BECAME FRIGHTENED BUT REMEMBERING THE SICKNESS OF HIS DAUGHTER,
HE STARTED TO BEG THE BEAR FOR THE BLUE ROSES. THE BEAR ANSWERED HIM IN A HUMAN VOICE. "I WILL GIVE
YOU THE ROSES BUT WHEN YOU TAKE THEM HOME AND WHEN YOUR DAUGHTER GETS WELL SHE HAS TO COME TO ME FOR
THIRTY THIRTY DAYS." SEEING THE BLUE ROSES, HELEN REGAINED HER HEALTH AND WITH A LITTLE HORROR,
DECIDED TO GO TO THE BEAR'S HOUSE. SHE STAYED THERE FOR THIRTY DAYS AND HELPED THE BEAR TAKE CARE
OF THE ROSES. AFTER THE THIRTY DAYS SHE CAME BACK HOME AND SHE NOTICED THAT HER BLUE ROSES STARTED
TO WILT. SHE WENT BACK TO THE BEAR'S HOUSE AND SHE FOUND THAT THE BEAR WAS VERY ILL. SHE WAS SORRY
FOR HIM AND HER EYES STARTED TO FILL WITH TEARS. ONE OF THEM DROPPED ON A BLUE ROSE AND THE ROSE
BECAME WHITE. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BEAR'S HOUSE DISAPPEARED AND IN ITS PLACE WAS THE WHITE CASTLE
AROUND WHICH WERE WHITE ROSES. ON THE PORCH THERE WAS A HANDSOME KNIGHT AND HIS MOTHER. WITH A SMILE
ON HIS LIPS, THE KNIGHT CAME TO HELEN AND TOLD HER, "YOUR GOOD HEART AND TRUTHFUL TEARS GAVE ME BACK
MY STATURE." HE ASKED HER FOR HER HAND IN MARRIAGE AND THERE WAS A BIG WEDDING AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

Submitter comment: POLISH, HANDWRITTEN TEXT IS ATTACHED TO TYPEWRITTEN ENGLISH TEXT.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HAMTRAMCK ; POLAND ; LEZAJSK

Date learned: 00-00-1955