Once upon a time there was a very poor woodcutter who had three beautiful daughters. Of the three girls, the youngest was the most beautiful. One day the woodcutter went into the forest and was chopping down an oak tree when a very large and horrible bear wrenched the axe from his hands.
"Who gave you permission to cut the wood in my forest?" growled the bear. "You have been stealing my timber and now you must pay for it with your life."
"Please forgive me, Senor Oso," said the poor woodcutter, "I was only cutting the wood to sell it and thus support my three little daughters. If you kill me, my little girls will starve."
The Bear remained thoughtful and then said,
"There is only one way in which you life may be saved. You have to give me one of your daughters in marriage."
The woodcutter didn't know what to say or do. Finally the thought of dying and leaving his daughters destitute forced him to agree to the Bear's proposal.
The woodcutter returned home and told his daughters what had happened.
"Father," said the two eldest girls, "we would rather die than marry that Bear."
Ninfa, the youngest, said. "Father, I will marry the Bear."
Next day Ninfa and her father went into the forest where the Bear was waiting for them. After seeing the beautiful maiden, he was satisfied.
Ninfa, however, said to the Bear, "Senor Oso, my mother always taught me that in all things I should always follow God's law. If I must marry you, I want to be married according to the Catholic rites."
The Bear agreed, provided a priest could come to the forest. The woodcutter went in search of a priest and soon returned with one. Ninfa and the Bear were then married.
The Bear took Ninfa to his cave, and when it grew dark he chanted:
"Bear so hairy, Bear so alarming,
Change into a prince handsome and charming."
In an instant the Bear changed into a handsome prince. He then told Ninfa, "I am an enchanted prince, cursed by a witch into being a bear by day and a man by night. You do anything you want around here on one condition, that you never reveal that I am an enchanted prince."