Fairy tales for young and old ~ English version

The Fairy at the Well

(Rewriting LGBT version of an already existing tale, as part of a contest)

In a realm where magic danced in the air and the echoes of enchantment whispered through the forests, there lived a widow burdened with two offspring. The elder, Elzerilda, was her mother's very shadow, both in spirit and appearance, their demeanor as unwelcoming as a thorny bush. The younger, Lulis, was a boy whose nature was as pure as a clear stream, reflecting the virtues of his late father. His features were as striking as the rarest painting, drawing the gaze of all who passed by. The mother's affection was lavished upon Elzerilda, while harboring a disdain for Lulis, for she had always wished for daughters, not sons. Lulis was relegated to the life of a servant—eating scraps in the kitchen, sleeping on the damp cellar floor, and toiling without respite.

Lulis's tasks were many, but none so arduous as fetching water from a well, a journey that took him far from the comfort of even the kitchen's hearth. The jug he carried was a burden, heavy and unyielding, and it was with great effort that he managed this chore twice each day. 

One fateful day, as Lulis struggled at the well, a beggar woman approached, her throat parched with thirst.

"Kind sir, might I trouble you for a sip of water?" she implored.

"With pleasure, dear lady," Lulis replied, his voice a soothing balm. He cleansed his pitcher and filled it with the well's clearest water, holding it steady for the woman to quench her thirst.

The good woman, having drunk, smiled warmly at him. She was actually a kind fairy in disguise.

"Good boy." she whispered. "For your compassion, I bestow a gift upon you. With each word you say, a Flower or a Precious Stone will come out of your mouth."

Bewildered by her words, Lulis returned home, carrying the heavy jug. Upon his arrival, his mother scolded him for his tardiness, not giving him time to answer, she started beating him.

"I'm sorry, mother, please stop."

And while saying these words, two Roses, two Pearls, and two large Diamonds came out of his mouth.

"What sorcery is this?" His mother exclaimed, so surprised that she forgot to hit him. "I see that Pearls and Diamonds come out of his mouth; tell me where does this come from, my son?"

Lulis, who had never before been addressed as a son by his own mother, told her naively about his encounter at the well,, not without throwing an infinity of Diamonds.

"Really." said the mother. "I have to send my daughter there. Look, Elzerilda, witness your brother's fortune. Would you not desire such a gift? You have only to go and draw water from the well, and when a poor old woman asks you for a drink, give it to her honestly."

"Me? Go to the well?" growled the vulgar young woman. "Why should I? That's Lulis' job!"

"You will go, and you will not defy me."

Elzerilda, grumbling, took up a delicate silver flask far lighter than Lulis' jug and reluctantly went to the well.

As Elzerilda approached the well, a woman in regal attire emerged from the woods. It was the same enchantress who had graced her brother with fortune, now adorned like a beautiful princess, to test the extent of Elzerilda's vanity.

"Kind lady," she said gently. "I am lost and thirsty. Might you spare some water?"

"Judging by your finery, you can afford to buy your own," Elzerilda retorted, her words as venomous as snakes. "Drink if you must, for all I care."

The enchantress, unflustered by the slight, replied, 

"Your heart seems devoid of the warmth of kindness. Thus, I bestow upon you a gift befitting your nature: for every word you utter, a serpent or toad shall emerge."