Fractured Fairytales

The Armless Girl

This is based on the story "Die Mädchen Ohne Hande" (The Girl Without Hands) by the Brothers Grimm. I recently re read this, and was struck by how Nessa-like the main character is. So, here we have it- a Nessa-centric story.
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Melena Thropp and her husband, the preacher Frexspar, fell slowly but surely into poverty, until finally they had nothing more than their house and a large apple tree which stood behind it. They had three children- their eldest, a green girl named Elphaba, whim they had abandoned when they could no longer afford it, their second a tragically beautiful, pious young girl named Nessarose, and their youngest a boy named Shell.

One day Melena had gone into the forest to gather wood, where she was approached by an old man, whom she had never seen before, and who said, "Why do you torment yourself with chopping wood? I will make you rich if you will promise me that which is standing behind your house."

"What can that be but my apple tree?" thought Melena, said yes, and signed it over to the strange man.

The latter, however, laughed mockingly and said, "I will come in three years and get what belongs to me," then went away.

When she arrived home, Frexspar came up to her and said, "Melena, tell me, where did all the wealth come from that is suddenly in our house? All at once all the chests and boxes are full, and no one brought it here, and I don't know where it came from."

She answered, "It comes from an strange man whom I met in the woods and who promised me great treasures if I would but sign over to him that which stands behind the house. We can give up the large apple tree for all this."

"Oh, Melena!" said Frexspar, terrified. "That was the devil. He didn't mean the apple tree, but our dear Nessarose, who was just then standing behind the mill sweeping the yard."

And so, Nessarose lived the three years worshipping God and without sin. When the time was up and the day came when the evil one was to get her, she washed herself clean and drew a circle around herself with chalk. The devil appeared very early in the morning, but he could not approach her.

He spoke angrily to Melena, "Keep water away from her, so she cannot wash herself any more. Otherwise I have no power over her."

Melena was frightened and did what she was told. The next morning the devil returned, but Nessarose had wept into her hands, and they were entirely clean.

Thus he still could not approach her, and he spoke angrily to Melena, "Chop off her hands. Otherwise I cannot get to her."

Melena was horrified and answered, "How could I chop off my own child's hands!"

Then the evil one threatened het, saying, "If you do not do it, then you will be mine, and I will take you yourself."

This frightened her, and she promised to obey him. Then she went to Nessarose and said, "My child, if I do not chop off both of your hands, then the devil will take me away, and in my fear I have promised him to do this. Help me in my need, and forgive me of the evil that I am going to do to you."

She answered, "Dear mother, do with me what you will. I am your child," and with that she stretched forth both hands and let her mother chop them off.

The devil came a third time, but she had wept so long and so much onto the stumps, that they were entirely clean. Then he had to give up, for he had lost all claim to her.