The Tale of Los Tres Hermanos
Once upon a time, three beautiful princesses met, quite by accident, in the hollow of a dark wood.
"Who are you?" two of the princesses asked.
"I am Cinderella," replied the first princess.
Her dress was covered with sooty ashes, so they knew that she was telling the truth.
"Who are you?" asked Cinderella and the third princess.
"I am Sleeping Beauty," replied the second princess.
She looked like someone who was extremely well rested, so they knew that she was telling the truth.
"Who are you?" asked Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.
"I am Mrs. Bluebeard," replied the third, and last, princess.
She had bright blue hairs on the front of her white shawl, so they knew that she was telling the truth.
The three princesses remained in an uncomfortable silence for some time until Cinderella cleared her throat and spoke, "I have a dark secret."
"None, I wager—" started Beauty.
"—as dark as mine," finished Mrs. Bluebeard.
"I have committed murder," admitted Cinderella.
The others gasped in unison, for they had also committed acts of homicide.
"You know the beginning of my story, but let me tell you the end," Cinderella waited for the others to seat themselves on a cushion of pine needles and then she began her tale.
"I grew tired of the ever increasing forms of abuse that were daily heaped upon my person. I knew that no one was ever going to come and rescue me, so I took matters into my own hands. I cooked the evening meal as I usually did and, as usual, my step-sisters and step-mother complained about how horrible the food was. They eventually retired to the sitting room, taking with them a decanter of brandy to drink. But what they did not know was that I had spent the day brewing a potent poison, which I had earlier slipped into the brandy. I waited and when I went in to check on them a few minutes later, they were all slumped over dead in their chairs. I gathered up as much money as I could carry and I left. That was two nights ago and here I now am."
The other princesses agreed that she was very clever and most definitely had done the right thing.
Beauty rose, "You know the beginning of my story, but let me tell you the end. After I fell into my great sleep, a king from a far off land wandered into my father's realm. Upon investigating the castle, he found me asleep. Thinking that it was right to have his way with me, he attempted to know me, in the Biblical sense, against my will. Somehow, the splinter in my finger became dislodged and I woke up. I quickly grabbed his sword from its scabbard and stabbed him through the heart. I gathered up as much money as I could carry and left. That was last night and here I now am."
The other princesses agreed that she was very swift and most definitely had done the right thing.
Mrs. Bluebeard stood, "You know the beginning of my story, but let me tell you the end. When my husband returned from his trip abroad and found that I had opened the forbidden door, he flew into a rage and swore that I would join the others whom he had already killed. He grabbed my hair and pulled me along a corridor, but I broke free. I balled up my hand into a fist and hit him as hard as I could in the face. I broke his nose and when he was doubled over, I grabbed the fire place poker and hit him over the head with it; he fell to the floor, dead. I gathered up as much money as I could carry and I left. That was earlier tonight and here I now am."
The other princesses agreed that she was very strong and most definitely had done the right thing.
"Sisters," began Cinderella, "for yes, we are sisters in spirit, I say that we should go throughout the land and to as many kingdoms as possible and fight injustices and wrong doing wherever we find them."
"We can disguise ourselves as men and help the helpless," replied Beauty.
"I absolutely hate my name," finished Mrs. Bluebeard.
"And right you should," agreed the Cinderella.
"From now on you shall be called Buffy, for it is a good and just name," suggested Beauty and Mrs. Bluebeard agreed that Buffy was a good and just name and consented to be called so.
They fell asleep and in the morning, they went into town. They purchased weapons, horses, food and men's clothing and disguising themselves as males, set off into the world to fight evil.
And fight evil they did. They freed villages from monsters; they helped kingdoms overthrow unjust rulers; they freed women from the clutches of unworthy husbands and broke spells that had been cast by evil witches and warlocks. And when asked to take financial recompense for their works, they did so only to give it to the poor and unfortunates who lived in the land, and to provide themselves with the basic necessities.
Los Tres Hermanos, for that was the name that they had given to themselves, came to be known throughout many lands as the doers of good deeds.
...oOo...
One day, while riding through a glen, Cinderella, Beauty and Buffy came upon three handsome princes sunning themselves on a large rock. The three princesses secreted themselves and listened as the dashing young men argued playfully, yet adamantly, with each other.
"I think," began the first prince, "that the perfect woman would have to be one who was very clever. Yes, she would be the only one to win my heart."
"The sun has addled your brain," replied the second prince, "for any man with half a mind can see that the perfect woman would have to be one who was very swift. Yes, she would be the only one to win my heart."
"You were both obviously dropped on your heads as infants," replied the third, and last, prince, "for any man worth anything can see that the perfect woman would have to be one who was very strong. Yes, she would be the only one to win my heart."
The three princesses scarcely had time to comprehend what they had heard, for just then, six large ogres had found their way out of the mouth of a cave that had been hidden by vines and tall grasses. The ogres immediately set themselves upon the princes, intent on doing them grievous bodily harm.
The young princes quickly dispatched three of the ogres and steadied themselves to fight off the next three, when they spotted masked figures in crimson riding towards them.
"Los Tres Hermanos!" they exclaimed.
Cinderella jumped down off her horse and exchanged several blows with the first massive ogre, until she suddenly stopped and looked down. "Excuse me," she said, pointing to the ogre's large feet, "but it would appear as if the lacings of one of you foot-coverings has become undone."
And as the ogre bent down to see if, in fact, that was the case, Cinderella cut off his head and he was dead before he even saw the blade of her sword.
"How clever he is," replied the first prince.
Beauty galloped in, bent low and retrieved a dagger that was in her boot and faster than the beating wings of a humming bird, she threw it at one of the ogres and the blade impaled itself in the back of his head; he was dead before he had even had a chance to turn around.
"How swift he is," replied the second prince.
Buffy yanked a very large club out of the hand of one of the ogres. She struck a blow to his shin, causing the ogre to fall to his knees. She hit him once on his oversized head and he fell over, dead before he hit the ground.
"How strong he is," replied the third prince.
When the battle was over, the three princes went over to Los Tres Hermanos; however, instead of being happy that they had been spared gruesome deaths, they three young princes were saddened.
"Oh please do not think us ungrateful that you have saved our lives," began the first prince, "but before you came along, my fellow princes and I were arguing playfully, yet adamantly, with each other that we should like to find women who are as clever, swift and strong as you are. You can therefore understand why would be disheartened, since we are not men who are attracted to other men...not that there is anything wrong with that."
The three men tore off their crimson masks, revealing their true identities to the three princes.
"Los Tres Hermanos—" started one prince.
"—are really Las Tres Hermanas!" finished another prince.
The first prince, whose name was Harry, took Cinderella by her hands, "All my life, I have dreamt of finding a woman as clever as you are. Please consent to be my bride, and I promise that I will not only love you, but I will gladly partake in more than my fair share of all the household chores."
"Oh Harry," sighed Cinderella and she agreed at once to be his bride.
The second prince, whose name was Edmund, took Beauty by her hands, "All my life, I have dreamt of finding a woman as swift as you are. Please consent to be my bride, and I promise that I will not only honour you, but I will gladly pull over our carriage to stop and ask for directions if ever we become lost."
"Oh Edmund," sighed Beauty and she agreed at once to be his bride.
The last prince, whose name was Sid, took Buffy by her hands, "All my life, I have dreamt of finding a woman as strong as you are. Please consent to be my bride, and I promise that I will not only cherish you, but I will gladly support you in whatever career decisions that you decide to make."
"Oh Sid," sighed Buffy and she agreed at once to be his bride.
They were all married that very afternoon.
...oOo...
The three princesses continued to fight injustices throughout the lands, taking time out, now and then, to have children, but only because they wanted to and not because it was expected of them. They raised strong daughters and loving sons and taught them all how to be brave and fight injustice wherever and whenever they encountered it. And until their dying days, the three princes remained truer than true to the promises that they had made to the brides on the day they had met them.
And they all lived happily ever after...