Chapter 20“The Perks and Perils of being a bride are well known. It’s the fodder for romantic comedies, and dramas all around. I won’t waste your time recounting those,” Melanie Flowers began her lecture. “Rather, I want to tell you about a folktale entitled ‘The White Bride and the Black One’ which is one of many credited to Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Most of us know these brothers, but we are not as familiar with this story. In this tale, a mother and daughter are approached and asked to offer aide, which they do not do. Instead, a stepdaughter says she will help, and is granted three wishes of beauty, wealth, and everlasting life in Heaven. As you can clearly tell, she will become the White Bride in this scenario—but only after the mother and daughter’s torment continues, and they nearly
