All's Well That Ends Well by Edith Nesbit
The Countess of Rousillon mourns her late husband while her son Bertram departs for Paris at the King's summons. Helena, orphaned daughter of a renowned physician and ward of the household, secretly loves Bertram and confesses as much to the Countess, who embraces her as a daughter. Helena travels to Paris carrying her father's prescriptions and cures the ailing King, who grants her the husband of her choice. She names Bertram. He protests her low birth, but the King forces the marriage. Stung by taunts from the soldier Parolles about being tied to a "kicky-wicky," Bertram abandons Helena at once, sending her to Rousillon with a letter declaring he will never call her wife unless she gets his ring from his finger. The King, before Helena departs, gives her his own ring, promising aid if she is ever in trouble. At Rousillon the Countess disowns Bertram's cruelty and claims Helena as her true child. Helena disguises herself as a pilgrim and travels to Florence, where Bertram is fighting. Lodging with a widow and her daughter Diana, Helena learns Bertram is courting Diana with Parolles's help, slandering his absent wife. Helena reveals her identity to the widow and arranges a "bed-trick": Diana will demand Bertram's ancestral ring in exchange for a lock of hair, insisting on darkness and silence, and Helena will take Diana's place. Bertram gives up his ring and unknowingly spends the night with Helena, leaving a ring of hers on his finger in turn. Separately, Parolles is exposed as a coward and liar by fellow officers through a staged capture and interrogation, losing Bertram's respect entirely. Helena spreads a report of her own death. Believing her dead, the King arranges for Bertram to marry Lafeu's daughter Magdalen and travels to Rousillon for the match. Bertram, now repentant of his past coldness, gives Lafeu a ring—Helena's ring from the King—which the King recognizes and accuses him of obtaining by foul means, nearly having him arrested. Diana's petition arrives, naming Bertram as her betrayer and demanding he keep his promise to marry her. Bertram denies and disparages her until Diana reveals the truth of the ring exchange. At that moment Helena herself appears, ring in hand, proving the deception and claiming Bertram as her husband under the terms he himself had set. Bertram, overcome, vows to love her fully, and the King praises Diana for her part in exposing him.
By Edith Nesbit · First published 1907 · Genre: Romance, Fairy Tale, Comedy · 2,616 words
First lines
In the year thirteen hundred and something, the Countess of Rousillon was unhappy in her palace near the Pyrenees. She had lost her husband, and the King of France had summoned her son Bertram to Paris, hundreds of miles away.
Bertram was a pretty youth with curling hair, finely arched eyebrows, and eyes as keen as a hawk's. He was as proud as ignorance could make him, and would lie with a face like truth itself to gain a selfish end. But a pretty youth is a pretty youth, and Helena was in love with him.
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Genres
- Romance — The central narrative arc follows Helena's love for Bertram and their marriage, making romantic love the primary plot driver and emotional core.
- Fairy Tale — The work employs classic fairy-tale elements: magical healing, an impossible task achieved through cleverness and virtue, archetypal quest structure, and moral reward.
- Comedy — The narrative contains comedic elements including witty dialogue, humorous exposure of the braggart Parolles, ridicule of pride, and a joyful happy ending.
- Drama — Emotional conflict between characters, court intrigue, family tension, and high-stakes situations drive the narrative tension and character development.
Tags
romantic love · class difference · marriage · forced marriage · bed trick · ring exchange · disguise · medieval period · French court · Florence · fairy tale · redemption
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All's Well That Ends Well is listed on Textopian as a short story by Edith Nesbit, dated 1907 CE.
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- Work type: Short story
- Author: Edith Nesbit
- Date: 1907 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Romance, Fairy Tale, Comedy, Drama, Coming of Age
- Length: 2,616 words
- Structure: 1 section, 67 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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- Work identity for All's Well That Ends Well by Edith Nesbit
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