My freshman year of college I was given the assignment of recreating a classic fairy tale. The assignment was one of my favorite projects of all my college life thus far.

So today I'll share with you, my rendition of a childhood favorite of mine, The Two Sisters by Flora Annie Steel.

The Two Brothers

There once were two brothers who lived on the road. A beaten down car was their only abode. They barely had money to keep themselves fed, but one day an idea formed in the eldest brother’s head.

“We each shall take a turn going out to find work”

“Find a good job like a baker, a plumber, or clerk”

So the youngest of the two set out first, he traveled through the weather at its absolute worst. As he walked through the hardest of rains, he took shelter under a tree who’s branches were strained.

“Please help” cried the tree

“Please if you will, shake some of the fruit off me”

“My branches are tired from holding the weight”

“Please young man, do not hesitate”

The youngest brother quickly made haste. He shook the trees branches and gathered the fruit so it would not waste.

The tree provided shelter from the harsh rain and the next day the brother set out again on unfamiliar terrain. He came to a field, where the grass was trimmed to the root and trudged on and on, on his long commute. At half passed noon he came to a hedge. He looked both ways but spotted no edge. So the brother pulled out a knife to cut his way through. But the hedge cried out:

“Please don’t, I implore you!”

“I don’t want to be sliced, cut, or trimmed”

“Please wait here sir until the skylight has dimmed”

“Passage will be provided if you wait here with me”

The brother sheathed his knife, and heeded its plea. He sat and he waited until the sun set, as time passed the brother started to fret. But soon a strong wind started to blow and the hedge started to bend, bend so low. The brother quickly leapt over and to the ground he dropped. He laid in the grass until the icy wind stopped

The next morning, he went on his way and came to the city around mid-day. He came across an old woman who cried out:

“Please help me”

“I am old, I am blind, and have no money”

“Please good sir will you give me something”

“Even a penny will make me a queen amongst kings”

The youngest brother peered into his bag, he had barely anything for himself let alone the old hag. But he gathered up the last of his change and she gave him a soft kiss on the cheek as a humble exchange.

He went on his way to look for good work, but nobody wanted an inexperienced plumber, baker, or clerk. Soon he stumbled upon a large mansion and on its steps, he crumpled from exhaustion.

When he awoke, he was lying in a bed with a warm cloth laid over his head. A beautiful young girl sat by his side, she had golden blonde hair and gorgeous blue eyes.

A heavy hand fell upon her shoulder and a man looked down on him, stiff as a boulder. The man offered a job to the young brother, a job to tend to his very sick mother.

“I will pay you very well, but under one condition”

“You must never, I say never, go into that room without my permission”

He pointed a strong finger to the heavy door down the hall.

“No sir, I will never enter, not at all”

The brother promised, and he began work. Caring for a sweet woman was better than being a plumber, baker, or clerk.

Months later the old woman passed away and when the brother went to tell the family, they appeared to have gone away. He searched the house, room after room, then came to the forbidden door, now held open by a broom.

He called out the name of the man’s gorgeous daughter, but as he approached the air grew hotter. When he opened the door, saw a terrible sight, the daughter had been chained to the wall all night. The flames of a blazing fire crept higher and higher. The brother broke the chains and pulled the girl away and they ran and they ran for an entire day.

They soon heard a booming voice from behind them. The man pursued them with heavy footsteps beating the ground like a drum.

The brother took her hand and whispered: “Quickly this way.” He ran to the old woman he’d helped on that long passed day.

“Please madam, I implore you to hide us”

The young brother did plea

“You gave me your last, of course, I will help you. Indeed”

The two hid under her woolen cloak and when the man stomped up and said in a choke,

“You, old woman, have you seen a young man and a girl with golden hair”

“Oh, no good sir, I have not seen the pair”

The man scoffed and stormed off the wrong way and the two thanked the woman and traveled half the day. Then once again they heard the man approaching, his face was turning hideous and so reproaching.

The brother took her hand and whispered: “Quickly this way.” He ran to the tall hedge he’d spared on that long past day.

“Please hedge, I implore you to hide us”

The young brother did plea.

“You spared me of your knife, of course I will help you. Indeed”

The two hid under the hedges leaves and the man stomped up and rolled up his sleeves.

“You, over grown hedge, have you seen a young man and a girl with golden hair?”

“Oh, no good sir, I have not seen the pair”

The man scoffed and stormed off the wrong way and the two thanked the hedge and traveled the rest of the day. Soon they reached the forest when they heard a dreadful sound heavy, dragging footsteps shook the ground.

The man had transformed into a hideous beast and looked like a bear, a wolf, and boar, to say the least. The brother took her hand and whispered: “Quickly this way.” He ran to the fruitful tree he’d relieved on that long past day.

“Please fruitful tree, I implore you to hide us”

The young brother did plea.

“You relieved me of my strains, of course I will help you. Indeed”

The two hid amongst its branches and the creature boomed in a voice that would have set off a series of avalanches.

“You, rotten tree, have you seen a young man and a girl with golden hair?”

“Oh, no good sir, I have not seen the pair”

“Perhaps you return home, for you look not well”

The creature took a breath that made his hairy chest swell, then with a growl, he started back home with a hideous howl.

The two thanked the tree and traveled home the rest of that day.

The eldest brother was ferociously mad when his brother returned with no more than he’d left with, not even a tad. So the eldest brother stormed off to find good work, as a plumber, or baker, or clerk.

The fruitful tree implored him to relieve the weight, the tall hedge pleaded he wait, and the poor woman begged for a gift, but the eldest brother disregarded them all with a sniff.

He picked off a single apple and gobbled up the fruit, he hacked a pathway in the hedge, down to the very root, and he scoffed at the poor lady and gave her no heed. He marched and he marched at the quickest speed.

He came to the mansion and with a little persuasion, got himself a job caring for the man’s elderly father. He too was forbidden to go into the room, but no bother, he would bring home more money and show up his brother.

When the man’s father had passed, he searched for the man to collect his pay at last. He entered the room in which he was forbidden, and found a large bag of gold that was kept hidden.

He grabbed the bag and quickly fled. He ran and he ran in fear for his head.

He soon heard a booming voice from behind him, the man pursued him with heavy footsteps, limb by limb.

He ran to the old woman he’d scoffed at on that long past day.

“Please madam, I implore you to hide me”

The eldest brother did plea.

“You scoffed at me when I asked you for little, run selfish boy”

The brother ran, in fear of utter destroy.

He barely reached the hedge before the man caught him, stole back his gold and beat him ‘til he looked grim.

The eldest brother returned, shivering from a cold, returned to his brother and his brother’s new wife, who’s hair was made of real gold.

Her hair, when melted or trimmed, produced enough fortune to afford the richest of items at the largest proportion.

The girl trimmed her golden hair to provide for her new family who loved her and whom she loved dearly.