For many years the girl wandered and was at the mercy of those who took pity on her. One day, she came upon a cottage in the woods and knocked upon the door to see if there were chores that she might do. A robust old woman with a glint in her eye and a rosy gleam in her cheeks answered the call and said, “My dear, what has taken you so long, I have been expecting you.” The girl, who by now had grown into a young woman, was taken aback. She thought the woman must have mistaken her for someone else.

Nonetheless, she accepted the woman’s hospitality as she showed her into the sitting room. She helped her into an overstuffed chair by the fire and gently propped her legs on a stool, then went to the kitchen to prepare something for her to eat. The fire was warm and she had not realized how chilled she was. Her whole body felt as though it was surrounded by a warm glow. She couldn’t remember when she had felt this relaxed.

The woman returned with a warm bowl of soup and hearty bread and she hungrily ate her fill. Now she felt as though she was glowing from the inside as well. The woman then placed her hands gently on her legs and said to her, “Now tell me how you lost your feet my dear Rose.” No one had called her by her given name or shown any interest in her since the old woman had taken her in many years before. It was as though a gate had been opened and the story poured forth like a wave. It felt good to hear her own voice. She thanked the woman and asked how she could be of service. “Tomorrow will be soon enough,” the woman said for it had grown dark outside. And with that Rose realized how tired she was. The woman helped her to a cozy room with a feather bed, tucked her in and kissed her good night.

She slept and slept and dreamed and dreamed for three days straight. When she finally awoke she could not remember when she had felt so refreshed. Even the constant ache in her shoulders from using the poorly hewn crutches was gone. As she lifted her head and looked about the room, the sun shone and everything had the pink glow of dawn. She lazily swung her legs over the side of the bed and gasped. There were her feet! Could she still be dreaming? How was this possible? She pinched herself. She pinched her feet. Everything seemed real. What magic was this?