Once there was a miller who had no sons to work his mill or assure him comfort in his old age. His wife had died long ago giving him only a puny baby girl, whose worth didn’t become apparent until she blossomed into a woman.

For then, her beauty stole the sunshine from the sky to sparkle in her fair hair. The birds grew mute when her lovely voice trilled. No truer blue or rosy hue could match the color of her eyes or soft, round cheeks.

To keep safe his only treasure, the miller locked her away inside their cottage while he considered how best to reap the rewards of his good fortune.

When it was time for her to wed, he sent a message to the village, offering his precious daughter up for enough gold to see to his comforts for the rest of his life.

His announcement met with loud guffaws from the townspeople, for how could a scrawny, ugly man such as himself sire a creature worth the gold he demanded?

When no one offered him their fortune, he let one townsman inside his home to peer upon his bonny daughter. The man eyed her face, touched her soft golden hair, but declared that her body must be misshapen and demanded to see more before he contemplated offering her bride price.

Now, the daughter was no fool. She knew her father meant to sell her to the highest bidder, but she’d spent her entire life inside her tiny house and longed to see more of the world, beyond the confines of their small village.

So while she was willing to remove her gown and allow the townsman to look upon her naked flesh, she lashed out with a viperous tongue, letting him know she’d make the man who married her a miserable cuckold.