The True Blue Rose

Once upon a time there was a king who was dying and had never seen a blue rose and so he promised the hand of his daughter to anyone who could bring him one.
Unfortunately, though many brave knights and princes searched to find a blue rose none were succesful for the blue rose was a magical, fairy flower and very rare indeed.
But then, one day, a duke who desired to marry the kings daughter thought he could trick the king.
"I will simply get a white rose and dye it blue", he thought.
But, because he was a duke he didn't want to get his hands dirty doing the job himself so he ordered a serving boy called jack to go and pick a white rose and dye it blue for him.
Unfortunately when Jack did this the white rose just died, poisoned by the blue dye and when he tried it again the same thing happened, infact every time he tried to dye a white rose blue it killed the rose.
"What am I going to do?", he thought, panicking, "The Duke expects me to give him a blue rose and if I don't, knowing him, I'll get a whipping for sure".
So the boy decided it best to run away and he ran into the green forest nearby.
As he was in the forest however, he started to despair and sitting down in the shade of a tree began to cry.
But then, suddenly, while he was crying, through his tears, the boy saw an old woman walking through the forest, an old flower seller with a basket of roses and she was singing a song.
"Red roses, Green Roses, Yellow Roses, Pink Roses", she sang, "Roses of every colour and only a penny".
And stopping she asked Jack if he would like to buy one.
"I'm sorry", said the boy, getting up and wiping away his tears, "You're roses all look nice but the rose that I need is a blue rose".
"Ahh", said the old woman with a smile,"Then you're in luck for I happen to have the bluest of all blue roses in my basket".
And reaching into her basket she pulled out a blue rose and showed it to Jack.
Jack could not believe his luck and, taking a penny from his pocket he eagerly pressed it into the hand of the old woman.
"Oh thank you", he said, "Thankyou".
But then the old woman gave the penny back to him.
"Oh theres no charge", she said, "Blue roses are magic fairy roses you see not for buying and selling but if its someones destiny to recieve a blue rose then the rose will glow brightly".
And then, suddenly, to Jacks amazement he saw the rose start to glow with a bright blue light.
"The rose knows, you see", said the old woman.
Then she gave the rose to Jack and, thanking her, he ran off as fast as he could to find the Duke and give him the rose.
And when the Duke recieved the rose, he told Jack to place it upon a pillow and then with the boy walking behind him carrying the rose on the pillow they went to the royal castle to present it to the king.
As the Duke was handing it to the king however, suddenly the rose started to rise up into the air, whirling round and round and shedding petals of blue light, then it turned into an old woman in a blue dress and hat carrying a basket of blue roses.
"What is the meaning of this?", asked the King, startled.
"I am the fairy of the blue rose, sire and this wicked Duke tried to trick you with a white rose by dying it blue", said the old woman pointing an accusing finger towards the Duke, "But his honest serving boy Jack brought you a true blue rose and, if you remember, you promised that whoever brought you a blue rose would wed your daughter".
And so, staying true to his word, the King consented to Jack Marrying his daughter and becoming Prince Jack and the wicked Duke, as punishment for his deceit, was made to work in the royal gardens growing bright roses of blue.