Beauty Lies Within

Once upon a time there lived a poor miller who had three daughters.  All were quite clever but only the eldest was beautiful.  The three sisters were nicknamed Pretty Wit, Ugly Wit, and Putrid Wit by the villagers.  And because of her beauty, Pretty Wit had many suitors.  Being the kind girl she was, she tried to coax some to woo her sisters, whom she loved dearly.  But all were repulsed by their ugliness.  Every night, Pretty Wit comforted them as they cried themselves to sleep.  
One night, the youngest, Putrid Wit, cried her hardest.  The most handsome boy in the village insulted her earlier that day, calling her an ogre.  Try as she might, Pretty Wit could not consol her.  In a fit of rage, Putrid Wit pulled away and shouted, "I hate you!  I hate your beauty!!  If only I were as beautiful as you, I would not be so miserable!!!"  Pretty Wit was taken aback and quietly left the room.  
Pretty Wit could not sleep that night, trying to think of some way to help her sisters.  But as dawn broke, she came up with a plan.  High in the mountains, past the forest, lived a sorceress.  Surely she could convince the sorceress to teach her some magic that would help her sisters.  She silently vowed that she would not marry until both of her sisters were wedded off and happy.  And so off she journeyed without a single farewell to her family.  
Three days passed traveling through the woods.  Pretty Wit Had run out of food, unaware that it takes a week to travel through the forest on foot.  Half-starved, she came across a grand castle.  Crawling to the doors she banged and shouted, begging for food and shelter.  The servants brought her inside and took her to their master.  Their master was a young prince.  She kindly asked him for a bit of food.  Impressed with her beauty, she quickly had food brought out for her.  
She supped until she was fit to burst.  The prince asked her where she was headed.  But before she had a chance to answer, he said, "Because I'll need to send them a message that you aren't arriving.  You're going to marry me."  
"What?  And why do you wish to marry me?"
"Because you are the most beautiful creature I've ever laid eyes upon."  Now having many men already wish to marry her because of her looks, Pretty Wit was no longer flattered by this statement.  
"My lord," she quietly seethed, "it is important that I get to the mountains and see the sorceress that lives there.  I'm sorry, but I cannot marry you."  But the prince would not hear it.  The servants took her to one of the guest rooms and quickly took her measurements, for the wedding was to be the next day.  But of course, Pretty Wit would not have it.  
As soon as she was sure the servants had retired for the night, Pretty Wit crept out of her room.  She decided to grab some food from the kitchens.  But she was wrong.  The kitchens were alive with chefs and servants bustling to and fro, trying to prepare a feast for the wedding.  Few barely noticed her presence as she walked in.  One dashed up to her and quickly asked why she was awake.  Pretty Wit quickly replied that she was hungry and without another word, the servant rushed away to grab some food for her.  An idea struck her at that moment.  Getting the attention of another servant, she requested some food.  Again and again she did this, making sure they did not notice one another.  She left the kitchens once she was sure she had enough food to last another couple of days.  No one seemed to notice her leave, or all the food she took.  
Her next task was more difficult.  Pretty Wit had decided to take one of the many horses.  She got into the stables where a boy lay sleeping in the archway.  Pretty Wit tried her best not to wake the boy as she crept over him and took the nearest horse.  She did not bother herself with a saddle or bridle, but did grab saddle bags to hold her food.  Quietly she coaxed the horse out, stepping carefully over the boy.  Without a sound, she perched herself upon the mare and rode off.  
Just as she predicted, it took her another four day to make it to the house of the sorceress.  The woman who answered the door was a withered old hag who greeted Pretty Wit with contempt.  “What do you want, little twit?” the woman growled.  
“Madam,” she curtseyed, “I’m in need of your help.  I need to learn magic to help my sisters.”  
“Bah, you just want love spells don’t you?  Well go away then.  I’ll give no love spells to you.”
“Madam, please.  I do not care about my love life, but I wish to help my sisters.  Will you please teach me some spells to help them?”
The woman stared down Pretty Wit.  Pretty Wit tried to show as much sincerity as possible in her eyes.  The woman had to believe her.  She would not let her journey and the suffering of her sisters be in vain.  “You are not convincing me little twit”
“What can I do to convince you?  I’ll do anything.”  
“Cut up your face.”
“What?”
“You heard me.  Destroy your beauty.  Cut up your face and I’ll consider teaching you sorcery.”  Without hesitation, Pretty Wit pushed passed the woman and searched for a kitchen.  As soon as she spotted a knife, she carved up her face, leaving no patch unblemished.  
With a determined look in what was left of her eyes, she asked the woman “Will you teach me magic?  I want to help my sisters who are sad and unhappy. Please help me to help them.”  Her hand which held the knife began to shake.
The old woman stared at the girl in disbelief.  She had expected at least a few moments of thought to pass through the girl’s mind.  Finally believing her, the old woman’s ugliness melted away.  The woman who now stood before Pretty Wit was a gorgeous woman, more so than herself.  “Alright child.  I shall teach you spells so you may bring your sisters joy.”  Overwhelmed, Pretty Wit fell to the floor, the pain from the carving finally setting in.
When Pretty Wit next awoke her face bore no sign of the carnage she had brought upon it.  The beautiful sorceress stood above her holding a spell book.  “Are you feeling well again, child?”  Pretty Wit nodded slowly.  “Good, then let’s begin your training.”
The weeks passed swiftly and soon Pretty Wit had become as powerful as her mentor.   With more words of gratification she departed with a spell.  But she did not appear before the home of her family, but the castle of the arrogant prince who’d wanted her hand.  Using the spell the sorceress had used during their first meeting, she bore the guise of an old beggar woman.  It had been snowing for a while by the time she arrived. She was lucky enough to gain an audience with the prince, begging for shelter from the cold.  But he turned her away, even with an offer of a beautiful red rose.  His nose crinkled from her haggard form and refused her entrance.  And just as her mentor had done, she discarded her ugliness and revealed her true form.  Recognizing her, he begged her forgiveness.  With this test, she knew for sure there was no true love in his heart.  So she transformed him into a terrifying beast and cast a spell on the castle as well and all who dwelled within.  She told him how to lift the curse, for it was only fair.  And with that, she was gone.
When she returned to her family, she was greeted with tears and open arms.  Swiftly she greeted her father before focusing on her sisters.  Commanding them to close their eyes she cast the spell that she had so painstakingly sought after.  A few magic words and her sisters were as beautiful as she had always believed them to be.  Days passed and soon the two had many suitors demanding their hands in marriage.  Happy with their fate, Pretty Wit decided to leave the village once again.  She would journey throughout the world and help others girls like her sisters and punish those like the heartless prince.  With a tearful farewell, her sisters wished her the best and thanked her for all she had done for them.
And all three sisters lived happily ever after.