Original Fable Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biancabella_and_the_Snake

Once upon a time....there was a girl born with a snake around her neck and people were in fear by the strangeness of it. The snake quickly fled to the garden for safety, harming not one person on its way out though that didn't stop them from trying to kill it. The newborn was named Biancabella and many stayed away from the young girl, the story of her birth spreading.
When she was but the age of ten, a snake from the family garden spoke to her and told the young girl that she was her sister,Samaritana. She told Biancabella that if she obeyed her every word, that her life would always be filled with happiness but that if she did not obey, that misery would be her life. This brought distress to Biancabella and she promise to obey what ever her sister asked of her. The snake then ordered her to bring two buckets, one of milk and one of rosewater. When Biancabella returned to the house, she was still so distressed that her mother asked her what made her so sad. Biancabella asked for the buckets, which her mother gave her just wanting to see the other smile and Biancabella carried them into the garden. The snake then had Biancabella bathe in the buckets. She became even more beautiful, and then magically when her hair was combed it shed jewels, and when her hands were washed, they shed flowers.

This attracted many suitors. Finally, her father agreed to marry her to Ferrandino, King of Naples. After the wedding, Biancabella called on Samaritana, but the snake did not come to her. Biancabella realized she must have disobeyed her and grieved for the snake but ended up leaving with her new husband. Ferrandino's stepmother, who wanted to marry him to one of her ugly daughters, was enraged. Some time later, Ferrandino had to go to war; while he was gone, his stepmother ordered her servants to take Biancabella away and kill her, bringing back proof of her death. They took her away, and while they did not kill her, they gouged out her eyes and cut off her hands. Little did the stepmother know that her plan was of no consequence since Ferrandino was killed in battle.

Biancabella called on Samaritana, who still did not come. She wandered around aimlessly, trying to find safety but she had no way to see and no hands to feel her way around. She wanted to give up, just quit and lay down to die but she fought on. She hoped that maybe Ferrandino would find out of his step mother's treachery and be punished. Would he look for her or even still love her with this horrible appearance? She continued to wander for days, finally reaching a small cottage. The old man that lived there found pity on her, planning on inviting her in to stay for a bit but the man's wife rebuked the offer the man had implied. The man's wife feared that he was letting a punished criminal into their home and made him remember to think of his daughters. Biancabella said she would go but asked kindly if they would give her a small amount of food to spare and in return she would reward them. The woman refused, slamming the door shut. Biancabella could shed no tears but the pain of their actions felt like a stab at an already bleeding wound.

She fell to the ground, calling on Samaritana over and over till her voice was lost. She finally couldn't take it anymore and thought to kill herself this time. Samaritana appeared to stop her, and Biancabella appealed for forgiveness for whatever she had done to make her sister leave her. Samaritana restored her eyes and hands but at a cost to herself. Biancabella was healed but Samaritana was dying and in an effort to save her sister, Biancabella took the others soul into her own body. Samaritana was in despair at the lost of her body, taking control of Biancabella's body to get revenge on the ones that had ruined her sister's life and lead to her own.