The Wise Woman has been subsequently republished under various titles, including:
- The Lost Princess, and
- A Double Story.
By : George MacDonald (1824 - 1905)
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Born on the same day, Princess Rosamond, born in the lap of luxury, and Agnes, the daughter of common shepherds, are both equally spoiled by their parents. Both girls soon grow into self-centered tyrants who make their parents miserable. A mysterious Wise Woman comes to the royal palace and steals Rosamond, bringing her to a secret cottage deep in the forest, where Rosamond, for the first time in her life, is required to work in order to eat. Gradually Rosamond learns to obey the Wise Woman, albeit grudgingly. Through a combination of magic, discipline, and kindness, Rosamond comes to feel ashamed of her naughty behavior. One day when the Wise Woman leaves her alone, Rosamond discovers a magical hidden portrait gallery. Stepping through one of the paintings, she finds herself on a hillside near Agnes's home.
Just as Rosamond is escaping, the Wise Woman steals Agnes from the shepherd's croft and takes her to her cottage. All the Wise Woman's efforts to change her come to nothing, as Agnes is far more intractable than Rosamond: while outwardly obedient, she is morally reprehensible, thoroughly conceited and self-centered. Agnes, too, discovers the portrait gallery, where she is intrigued by an image of the royal palace. She steps through the painting and makes her way to the palace, where the King and Queen are still seeking their daughter. The King and Queen put Agnes to work in the kitchens, where she attempts to curry favor by hinting that she knows where the lost princess is. Eventually word of this reaches the King and Queen, who send soldiers to find Agnes's parents and bring them to the palace.
Agnes's parents search for their missing daughter only to discover Rosamond lost in the wilderness. They tend her back to health and decide to keep her in place of Agnes. At first Rosamond genuinely attempts to be good, but she slowly slips back into her old bad habits until she is asked to leave. Rosamond decides to make her way back to the palace to reunite with her parents, but becomes lost in the woods and is rescued by the Wise Woman. Rosamond now truly wishes to be a better person and asks for the Wise Woman's help. The Wise Woman subjects Rosamond to a series of magical trials, all of which she fails; however, the Wise Woman is encouraged to see that the princess tries all the harder with every new attempt. Finally the Wise Woman shows her the way home through the magical gallery.
At that moment, Agnes's parents stand accused of kidnapping the lost princess and are on the verge of being put to torture. Rosamond bursts into the courtroom to speak in their defense, but she is so altered that her parents refuse to believe she is their daughter. The Wise Woman appears and accuses the King and Queen of being so superficial that they cannot recognize goodness when it is standing before them. She curses them to be blind until they change their ways. Rosamond volunteers to care for her parents as the Wise Woman cared for her until they are cured.
The Wise Woman returns Agnes to her parents. Because Agnes's parents made her what she is, she is now their punishment. The shepherd begs to be taken to the Wise Woman's house to learn how to be a better person and parent, and the Wise Woman agrees to take him away. Before leaving with the shepherd, the Wise Woman promises Rosamond that she will always be near if Rosamond needs her.
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