The Story of Blanche and Vermilion
by Unknown · from The Fairy Ring
Adapted Version
A kind widow lived long ago. She had two girls, Blanche and Vermilion. Blanche liked fancy things. Vermilion liked simple things.
One day, a poor old woman came. She was very tired. The Widow asked her to rest. She offered her food.
Blanche went to get plums. She was not happy. Blanche thought, 'My plums.' She gave them. She gave them with a sigh.
Vermilion had no ripe fruit. She heard her hen. Her hen laid an egg. Vermilion ran to get it. She gave the fresh egg. She was very kind.
The old woman changed. She was a pretty fairy. Fairy said Blanche will be queen. Vermilion gets a nice farm.
The fairy touched the house. It changed into a farm. It was a nice farm for Vermilion. The folks were surprised. They were happy for Vermilion.
Blanche wanted to be a queen. A king saw Blanche. He asked her to marry him. Blanche became a queen. She lived in a big castle.
Queen Blanche asked Vermilion to come. She asked her to live in the castle. Vermilion said no. She liked her farm life best.
Blanche was a queen. She was not happy. She felt alone. She missed simple things. She felt unloved. She was very sad.
Blanche was very sad. She felt trapped. She missed being free. She missed being happy. She grew thin.
Blanche visited Vermilion. Vermilion was happy. She was healthy on her farm. She had love. She had simple joys. She had a good life.
Blanche told Vermilion she was sad. She said being a queen was not good. She wanted a simple life. She wanted to be happy.
The fairy came back. She said Blanche learned a lesson. True joy is in being kind. True joy is in simple things. Do not want too much.
Blanche asked for a happy life. Fairy said, 'Choose a new path.' You need not be queen. Blanche was queen no more.
Blanche lived with Vermilion on the farm. She was happy. She learned that simple kindness is the best. Blanche learned simple things make her happy.
Original Story
The Story of Blanche and Vermilion
THERE was once upon a time a widow, a very good kind of woman, who had two daughters, both very amiable. The elder was called "Blanche" and the younger "Vermilion." They had received these names because one of them had the fairest complexion that was ever seen, and the other had cheeks and lips as red as coral.
One day, as the good woman was seated near the door of her cottage spinning, she perceived a poor old woman who could hardly hobble along with the assistance of her stick. "You appear to be very much tired, my good woman," said the widow; "sit down here and rest yourself awhile"; and she then desired one of her daughters to fetch her a chair. Both of them immediately rose, but Vermilion outran her sister and brought the chair.
"Will you please to drink?" said the good old dame to the old woman. "With all my heart," answered she; "and I feel even as if I could eat a little if you could give me a bit of something nice." "You shall be welcome to anything that I have," said the good widow; "but, as I am poor, it will be nothing out of the common way." At the same time she desired her daughters to lay the table for the good old dame, who straightway seated herself at it.
The widow then told the elder daughter to go and gather some plums from a tree that she had planted herself, and was very fond of. Blanche, instead of obeying her mother willingly, murmured, and said to herself, "So it is for this old gormandizer that I have been so very careful of my plum tree." She, however, dared not refuse to fetch a few plums, but she gave them with much reluctance and very ungraciously. "You, Vermilion," said the good woman to her younger daughter, "have no fruit to give to this good dame, for your grapes are not ripe." "That's true," said Vermilion; "but I hear my hen cackling, so she must have laid an egg, and if the gentlewoman would like a new-laid egg she is very welcome to it"; and without waiting for any answer from the old woman, she ran off to seek her egg. The moment she presented it, however, the old woman disappeared and was replaced by a beautiful lady who said to the mother: "I am about to recompense your two daughters according to their deserts. The elder shall become a great queen, and the younger a farmer's wife." With these words she struck the house with her wand; it disappeared, and in its place rose a nice, snug-looking farm. "That is your portion," said she to Vermilion. "I know that I have given each of you what you like best." Having thus said, the fairy departed; and the good woman and her two daughters remained in great surprise.
They went into the farmhouse, and were charmed with the neatness of the furniture. The chairs were only of wood, but they were so bright that one might see one's face in them as in a looking-glass. The bedding was of Irish linen, as white as snow. In the pens were sheep; four oxen and the like number of cows were in the cowhouses, and the yard was well stocked with all sorts of domestic animals, as poultry, ducks, pigeons, etc. There was also a pretty garden, planted with different kinds of fruit, vegetables, and flowers.
Blanche regarded without any feelings of jealousy the fairy's gift to her sister. Her only thoughts were concerning the pleasures she anticipated in being a queen. All at once she heard a huntsman's horn, and going to the door to see the party pass, she appeared so beautiful to the King that he resolved to marry her, and did so accordingly. Blanche, when she was become a queen, said to her sister Vermilion: "I do not wish that you should marry a farmer; come to court with me, sister; I will procure you a great lord for your husband." "I am very much obliged to you, sister," replied Vermilion, "but I am accustomed to a country life, and do not wish to change it."
Queen Blanche then set out, and she was so gratified that she passed several nights without sleeping, for joy. The first few months she was so taken up with fine clothes, balls, and plays that she thought of nothing else. But she soon grew used to these things, and nothing now amused her; on the contrary, she was very discontented. All the ladies of the court showed her great respect when they were in her presence; but she knew that they did not like her, and that they said to each other behind her back, "See how this peasant girl plays the fine lady! The King must have had very poor taste to take such a personage for his consort." The King heard of these remarks, and they made him reflect on what he had done. He began to think that he had acted wrongly in marrying Blanche, and as his passion for her had cooled, he soon neglected her.
When the courtiers perceived that the King no longer loved his wife, they paid her little or no attention. She was very unfortunate, for she had not a single friend to whom she could impart her grief. She observed that it was the fashion at court to sacrifice one's friend to one's interest, to smile on one's bitterest enemy, and to tell lies continually. She was obliged to be serious, because she was told that a queen ought always to look grave and majestic. She had several children, and during all this time she was constantly attended by a physician, who examined everything that she ate, and ordered everything that she liked to be removed from the table. She was allowed no salt in her soup, she was forbidden to quit the house when she felt inclined to take a walk—in a word, she was contradicted from morning till night. Governesses were engaged for her children, who brought them up in direct opposition to her wishes; yet she was not permitted to find fault. Poor Queen Blanche was dying with sorrow, and she grew so thin that it was pitiable to see her. She had not seen her sister once during the three years that she had been a queen, because she thought it would be demeaning her high rank to pay a visit to a farmer's wife; but when she was quite oppressed with melancholy, she came to the resolution of spending a few days in the country to restore herself. She asked leave of the King to go, who permitted her very willingly, for he thought that he should thus get rid of her for some time. She set out, and arrived in the dusk of the evening at Vermilion's farm. As she was drawing near, she observed about the door a company of shepherds and shepherdesses who were dancing and merrymaking in high glee. "Alas!" said the Queen sighing, "there was once a time when I could divert myself like these poor people, and no one found fault with me." Directly she came in sight, her sister ran to embrace her. She looked so happy, she had grown so plump, that the Queen could not forbear crying when she looked at her.
Vermilion had married a farmer's son, who had no fortune; but he never ceased to remember that his wife had brought him all that he possessed, and he strove by his obliging disposition to show his gratitude. Vermilion had not many servants; but those that she had were as fond of her as if she had been their mother, because she treated them well. All her neighbors also liked her, and they were all zealous in showing their love. She had not much money, nor had she any occasion for much, for her farm yielded her corn, wine, and oil. Her herds furnished her with milk, with which she made butter and cheese. She spun the wool supplied by her sheep into the materials of clothes for herself, her husband, and her two children. They all enjoyed excellent health, and in the evening, when the period of working had passed, they diverted themselves with all sorts of pastimes. "Alas!" cried the Queen, "the fairy made me a very evil present when she gave me a crown. Contentment is not to be found in magnificent palaces, but only in the innocent employments of a country life." These words had hardly passed her lips when the fairy appeared. "It was not my intention, when I made you Queen, to reward, but to punish you," said the fairy to her, "for giving me your plums with so much ill will. To be truly contented and happy, you must, like your sister, possess only what is necessary, and wish for nothing more." "Ah, madam!" faltered Blanche, "you are sufficiently revenged; I entreat you to put an end to my unhappiness."
"It is at an end," answered the fairy. "The King, who no longer loves you, has just married another wife, and his officers will arrive here to-morrow to desire you, in his name, never to return to his court." It came to pass exactly as the fairy had foretold. Blanche passed the remainder of her days with her sister Vermilion, in all happiness and reasonable pleasure, and she never thought of the court again except to thank the fairy for having brought her from it to her native village.
Story DNA
Moral
True happiness and contentment are found not in wealth or status, but in simple living, kindness, and appreciating what one has.
Plot Summary
A kind widow's two daughters, Blanche and Vermilion, are tested by a disguised fairy. Blanche grudgingly offers plums, while Vermilion generously offers an egg. The fairy rewards Blanche with queenship and Vermilion with a prosperous farm, according to their desires. Blanche, as queen, finds court life miserable and lonely, while Vermilion thrives in her simple, loving farm life. Overwhelmed by sorrow, Blanche visits Vermilion and realizes her mistake. The fairy reappears, revealing Blanche's queenship was a punishment, and she is dethroned. Blanche then lives happily ever after with Vermilion, having learned that true contentment lies in kindness and simplicity.
Themes
Emotional Arc
pride to humility
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Reflects common themes in European fairy tales regarding virtue, social status, and the deceptive nature of wealth and power.
Plot Beats (15)
- A kind widow lives with her two daughters, Blanche (fair) and Vermilion (rosy), who are both amiable but have different inner dispositions.
- A poor old woman, actually a fairy in disguise, visits their cottage and is offered rest and food by the widow.
- Blanche grudgingly fetches plums for the old woman, complaining about having to share her prized fruit.
- Vermilion, though having no ripe fruit, eagerly offers a freshly laid egg to the old woman.
- The old woman transforms into a beautiful fairy and declares she will reward the daughters according to their deserts: Blanche will be a queen, and Vermilion a farmer's wife.
- The fairy transforms their cottage into a snug farm for Vermilion and departs, leaving the family surprised.
- Blanche, dreaming of being a queen, is soon discovered by a King during a hunt and marries him, becoming Queen.
- Blanche invites Vermilion to court, but Vermilion declines, preferring her country life.
- Queen Blanche initially enjoys court life but quickly becomes discontent, finding it superficial, lonely, and filled with disrespect from courtiers and neglect from the King.
- Blanche suffers from constant restrictions, unhappiness, and the loss of her children's upbringing, growing thin with sorrow.
- After three years, Blanche, desperate for solace, visits Vermilion's farm, where she finds her sister plump, happy, and surrounded by love and simple pleasures.
- Blanche laments her fate, declaring that contentment is not found in palaces but in a country life, and that the crown was an 'evil present'.
- The fairy reappears, revealing that Blanche's queenship was a punishment for her ill will, and that true happiness comes from needing only what is necessary.
- Blanche begs for an end to her unhappiness, and the fairy informs her that the King has remarried and she is to be banished from court.
- Blanche lives out the rest of her days happily with Vermilion on the farm, never regretting leaving the court and grateful for her newfound contentment.
Characters
Blanche
Of fair complexion, described as the fairest ever seen, suggesting very pale, unblemished skin. She becomes thin and gaunt from sorrow during her time as queen.
Attire: Initially simple, likely a plain linen dress typical of a peasant girl. As queen, she wears magnificent court attire, likely elaborate gowns of silk and velvet with jewels, though these are not described in detail beyond being 'fine clothes'. Later, she returns to simpler attire at her sister's farm.
Wants: To achieve a life of luxury, status, and pleasure, believing these will bring happiness. Later, her motivation shifts to finding peace and contentment.
Flaw: Her pride, selfishness, and superficiality. She believes external wealth and status are the keys to happiness, leading to her downfall.
Begins as a proud and ungracious girl who desires a life of luxury. She becomes a queen, but finds only unhappiness, neglect, and sorrow in court life. She is stripped of her royal status and ultimately finds true contentment living a simple life with her sister, realizing the value of humility and simple pleasures.
Initially selfish, ungracious, and somewhat proud. She is discontented, easily bored, and prone to melancholy. She learns humility and finds contentment by the end.
Vermilion
Cheeks and lips as red as coral, suggesting a healthy, rosy complexion. She is described as growing plump and looking happy after becoming a farmer's wife.
Attire: Initially a simple peasant dress. As a farmer's wife, she wears practical, homespun clothes, likely made from wool or linen, in earthy tones, possibly a smock and apron. She spins her own clothes from sheep's wool.
Wants: To live a simple, honest life, caring for her family and farm, and finding happiness in her daily work and relationships.
Flaw: None explicitly stated; her contentment and good nature seem to protect her from typical flaws.
Remains consistently good-natured and content. She receives the farm as her reward and thrives in her chosen life, serving as a foil and eventual comfort to her sister.
Amiable, kind, generous, industrious, and content. She is practical and finds joy in simple things.
The Widow
Not explicitly described, but implied to be a hardworking woman, likely with the signs of a life of labor. She is 'good kind of woman'.
Attire: Simple, practical clothing typical of a poor but respectable widow, likely a plain, dark dress made of durable fabric like wool or linen, possibly with an apron.
Wants: To provide for her daughters and live a virtuous life.
Flaw: None explicitly stated.
Remains consistently good and kind throughout the story. She is surprised by the fairy's gifts but adapts to the new farm life.
Good-hearted, kind, generous, and hospitable, even in her poverty. She is a loving mother.
The Fairy
Initially appears as a 'poor old woman who could hardly hobble along with the assistance of her stick'. Upon revealing herself, she transforms into a 'beautiful lady'.
Attire: As an old woman: tattered, simple peasant clothes. As a beautiful lady: elegant, flowing gown, perhaps shimmering, indicative of her magical nature, but not overly ornate like a queen's.
Wants: To test the characters' true natures and dispense justice or lessons based on their actions.
Flaw: None.
Acts as a catalyst for the sisters' fates, revealing her true form and purpose to deliver a moral lesson.
Wise, just, and discerning. She rewards kindness and punishes selfishness, but her 'punishment' is ultimately a lesson in humility and true happiness.
The King
Not explicitly described, but implied to be handsome enough to be captivated by Blanche's beauty.
Attire: Royal attire, likely rich fabrics like velvet and silk, possibly with a crown or other regalia, though not detailed.
Wants: Initially, to marry Blanche due to her beauty. Later, to maintain his own comfort and reputation, leading him to neglect his wife.
Flaw: Superficiality, impulsiveness, and susceptibility to court opinion.
Marries Blanche for her beauty, but his passion cools as he observes her discontent and hears court gossip. He eventually divorces her, fulfilling the fairy's prophecy.
Initially impulsive and swayed by superficial beauty. Later, he is easily influenced by court gossip and becomes neglectful and indifferent.
The Farmer's Son
Not explicitly described, but implied to be healthy and hardworking, fitting for a farmer.
Attire: Simple, durable peasant clothing, likely made of linen or wool in earthy tones, suitable for farm labor.
Wants: To show gratitude to his wife and work diligently on their farm.
Flaw: None explicitly stated.
Remains a consistently good and supportive husband to Vermilion, contributing to her happiness.
Obliging, grateful, and kind. He is a good husband.
Locations
Widow's Cottage
A humble, simple cottage, likely a traditional European peasant dwelling, with a door where the widow sits spinning. It is later magically transformed.
Mood: Initially humble and welcoming, then magically transformed to surprise and wonder.
The initial encounter with the disguised fairy, where Blanche shows reluctance and Vermilion shows kindness, leading to the magical transformation of the cottage into a farm.
Vermilion's Farm
A nice, snug-looking farm that magically replaced the widow's cottage. It includes a farmhouse with neat wooden furniture, Irish linen bedding, pens for sheep, cowhouses for oxen and cows, and a yard stocked with poultry, ducks, and pigeons. There is also a pretty garden with fruit, vegetables, and flowers.
Mood: Content, industrious, peaceful, and joyful, especially during the evening merrymaking.
Vermilion's happy and contented life as a farmer's wife, and Blanche's realization of true happiness when she visits her sister here.
Royal Court / Palace
A magnificent palace, the setting for Queen Blanche's life. It is characterized by fine clothes, balls, plays, and a strict, formal atmosphere. It is a place of superficial respect, gossip, and constraint, where Blanche is constantly attended by a physician and contradicted in her wishes.
Mood: Formal, superficial, discontented, oppressive, and lonely for Blanche.
Blanche's unhappy reign as queen, where she experiences the hollowness of her 'reward' and longs for the simple life.