Stories used

All Kinds of Fur

Little Brother and Little Sister

The Old Woman in the Woods

Bearskin

King Thrushbeard

Iron John

These were fairy tales I grew up with alongside the more familiar ones but I think they're very underated, very wonderful, and should be enjoyed more.

Based off of the fairy tale All Kinds of Fur

The Coat of Many Animal Skins

Once upon a time there was a king called Jude who's wife Queen Layla had blonde hair that shown like a thousand suns. It was said that there was no woman on earth with hair as beautiful and golden as hers. Then one sad day the queen fell ill and on her death bed she made her husband swear that if he were to ever remarry it would only be to a woman who had hair as golden and beautiful as hers and when he gave her his word she died. Years passed and during that time King Jude became a cold and isolated man who refused to even consider taking a second wife but the kingdom grew restless without a queen and at last the king gave into his advisors pleas to get remarried. Plenty of women with great beauty were brought before the king but not one of them had hair that equalled that of Queen Layla's.

Now King Jude and Queen Layla had a fair daughter called Lucy and just like her mother she had been born with blonde hair that rivaled the sun. After her mother had passed her father ignored her completely leaving her to be brought up by the castle servants who doted on and adored her. When the young princess wasn't attending her royal lessons she was learning how to cook and clean from the servants.

"Is the soup ready?" Lucy asked her maid and assistant cook Spetto as she stirred the soup in the pot over the fire.

"Just about your highness and don't forget to add the hazelnut to give it that special flavor."

"Alright." Lucy took the hazelnut spice from the cupboard and sprinkled some of it into the soup which she then stirred it all together. "I think it's ready? How does it taste?"

"Marvelous my lady you've improved greatly on your cooking skills." Spetto said after tasting it.

"Wonderful. I'll go set the table."

"Your highness are you sure you want to do that? After all it is the job of the servants to cook and serve you."

"I don't mind doing a little work around here and besides I find it much more fun than doing boring lessons all day."

"Well how about I set the table and you gather up some flowers and more spices from the royal garden?"

"Alright.

Lucy then went out into the royal garden where she began to gather a bouquet of flowers and a couple spices. In the throne room the royal advisor Bero was once again pleading with King Jude to remarry.

"Sire it has been ten years since Queen Layla's demise. We need a queen you must remarry."

"I swore to Layla that I would only marry a woman who was her equal."

"Your majesty the kingdom is filled with women who are just as beautiful as she was."

"But none of them have hair that comes close to being as golden as hers was. I gave her my word as both her husband and her king and I will not break my word."

Jude looked out the window and glanced over at the royal garden where Lucy was. The king found himself astounded by what he saw. A young woman with sun gold blonde hair and an appearance that mirrored his late wife's image in every way.

"Layla." He said seeing the resemblance.

"What is that my lord?" Bero asked.

"I have found her. At last."

"Your highness what are you looking at?" Bero followed his gaze and when he saw what the king was looking at a great fear struck him. "Your highness that's your daughter."

"Bring her to me."

"Uh...My lord what exactly are you planning to do?"

"I gave you an order!" He snapped. "Obey me!"

"Yes sire."

Over the years as he mourned the queen's death, the king had become quite mad. So much so that by now he had lost his senses and grip on reality. You see when he looked at Lucy that day he no longer saw her as his daughter. He now saw her as his wife who had come back to him in the form of another woman.

"Princess Lucy your father wishes to speak with you in the throne room." Bero called.

"Really? Father hasn't spoken to me in years. I wonder what he wants."

Lucy then went with Spetto to greet her father in the throne room.

"You wanted to see me Father?"

"After all these years I didn't think it was possible. But here you are, the perfect woman."

"Father what are you talking about?"

"At last I have found you my queen. Bero let the whole kingdom know that I have decided to make Princess Lucy my bride."

"Your majesty are you mad?!" Bero gasped in horror. "You cannot possibly marry her! She's your daughter!"

"She is the only woman in the entire kingdom with hair like Layla's."

"Father surely you are jesting?" Lucy said hoping that this was all just some cruel joke.

"I do not jest Lucy."

"But my lord God forbids a father to marry his own daughter." Spetto said.

"She's right. Your highness this is against the laws of both God and man. It is a sin."

"Silence! The only law that matters here is mine! And my word is law!" Jude bellowed. "The princess will marry me and that is final!"

"Father please don't do this." Lucy pleaded.

"Do not argue Lucy! I am your king and soon I will be your husband! So you will respect and obey me!"

Lucy felt horror and heartbreak grip her. She could never marry her own father. It was horrible, sick, and depraved. She had to think of a way out of this. It only took a few a moments and she thought of an idea.

"Very well Father if that is your wish then I cannot deny you. But if I am to become your bride then grant me this request."

"What is it you desire?"

"Three gowns, one as golden as the sun, one as sliver as the moon, and one as dazzling as the stars. Also I would like a coat made from the furs of a lion, a goat, a cow, a horse, and a sheep, the shells of a crab and a scorpion, and the scales of a fish. Have these gowns and that coat made and I shall be your wife."

"Very well."

Lucy and her servants were relieved for they were convinced that creating such clothing was impossible but months later the young princess found herself completely devastated when her father entered her chambers with the three gowns and the coat.

"I have fulfilled my part of our arrangement! Now it's your turn!" He declared. "You have your gowns and your coat! Tomorrow we wed!"

"Father please I beg of you! Don't make me do this!" She begged in tears.

"We had an agreement!"

"Father please! Mother wouldn't have wanted this!"

"Oh to the contrary, by doing this I am honoring your mother's dying wish! Have you forgotten about the promise I made? I promised your mother on her death bed to only marry someone as blonde and beautiful as she was! You are the only one who can fulfill the promise because you have the same blonde hair!"

"But I'm your daughter! Does that not mean anything to you?"

"A promise is a promise! Tomorrow is our wedding day and you shall be my bride weather you like it or not!"

Once he slammed the door and left her alone in her chambers Lucy threw herself on to her bed and began to weep.

"Oh what's to become of me?" She sobbed.

Realizing that her father's madness was far beyond help and that there was no way to persuade him to cancel this dreadful wedding Lucy had no choice but to flee for her life. In the middle of the night when all was quiet and everyone in the castle was asleep including the king, the young princess slipped on her coat of many animal skins and ran away into the forest taking only the three gowns and a golden ring.