Her features were a joy to see as was her golden hair.

Too soon came time for school.  Her mother sent her down the stair

to learn her little lessons from a teacher down the street.

Each day Petrosinella and the ogress chanced to meet.

Each day the ogress said to her, ‘Remind your mother, dear

of a promise that she made, and say the day is growing near.”

“What does she mean?” the child inquired.  And, though her heart would break,

“Next time,” her mother told her, “answer, ‘I am yours to take.’”

Petrosinella said the words.  “Now you are in my power!”

The ogress dragged her to a wood where stood a lofty tower,

and through the use of magic spells she locked them both inside.

“From now on this is home,” the ogress said, “where we’ll reside.”

“But how will I get out?  There are no stairs, there is no door.

There’s only this one window and it’s high above the floor.”

“You won’t get out,” the ogress said, “but I can come and go

by climbing up your golden braids which reach the ground below.”

And so Petrosinella lived for every single day.

The ogress was not mean to her, but there she had to stay.

It happened that a neighboring prince by chance was riding by

when she had spread her braids out in the mid-day sun to dry.