Zelinda and the Monster

Thomas Crane was an American scholar and writer, mostly known as a collector and publisher of folk-tales and legends. 

“Zelinda and the Monster” is an Italian fairy tale, entered in the “Italian Popular Tales” collection. The story is about one man, who has three beautiful daughters, but the youngest, Zelinda, is the fairest of the three. Once, before the departing on a great fair in a neighboring town, he promises to the younger daughter to bring her a handsome rose. Not finding any flower shops, the desperate man is going to return, but suddenly he finds the garden filled with every kind of flowers. Having entered softly and picked off the flower, he is attacked by a terrible monster with the figure of a dragon, who demands to give him the girl that asked for the rose instead the stolen flower. Paralyzed with horror, the man agrees…