A brother and sister escape their cruel stepmother, who mistreats them after their mother's death. They venture into the woods, where the brother, driven by thirst, encounters bewitched springs that threaten to transform him into wild animals. Despite his sister's warnings, he drinks from one spring and becomes a white roe. The sister vows to care for him, and they find a small house in the forest where they live together. The roe longs to join a royal hunt, and despite his sister's fears, he goes out but is wounded by hunters. The king, intrigued by the roe, discovers the sister and offers to marry her, promising to care for the roe. They marry, but the wicked stepmother plots against them, disguising her daughter as the queen and attempting to kill the real queen. The true queen secretly visits her child and the roe at night, nurturing them until the king discovers her. After confronting the witch, the queen is restored, and the brother returns to his human form. The family is reunited, and they live happily ever after, free from the stepmother's malice.
By Dinah Mulock · First published 1850 · Genre: Children's Literature, Fairy Tale, Fantasy