adeline ran into the house. "Grandmere?" She called, no one answered, so she went on through to the garden. A hunched over figure, with long gray hair that drooped down to her shoulder, sat on the bench, not facing her. "Grandmere?" She called out again, but she knew it was not her Grandmother.

Slowly, she walked over, then paused. Grandmother had told her never to talk to strangers. Madeline was only nine years old, and had very little common sense, she tended to dream most of the day away, even in the school room. That was when she heard the woman sob, a long, mournful sob, and Madeline knew it was her duty to see what was wrong. After all, Grandmother always said to treat others as she would like to be treated herself.
"Madam?" She said, as politely as possible. The woman turned around, Madeline screamed. Her skin was rotting, and had begun to peel off and in other words, she was ugly. "Pfuit!" The woman snapped and waved her away, and Madeline knew, she was ashamed.

"I'm sorry I took you by surprise." The woman said sadly. "But I am ugly and there is nothing I can do about it, so leave me alone!" Madeline was not very good at English, so she asked her in French how it hadhappened. "A witch put a spell on me because I married her lover. I went to a healer in Paris, but he said the only thing that would cure me is if someone kisses me on the cheek! But who would do that?" Madeline said she would. "No, but thank you. I shall just pass it to you, I think. My lover does not know where I am. I ran, he would surely kill me. He is very vain, that is his downfall."

Madeline sat beside her and thought about this. She then said, "I think that I would never mind to be ugly, as I am only a child and do not seek love just yet. And then perhaps when I do I could pass it to someone who does not. But now I suppose that would be selfish of me." The woman smiled. "I am old, have lived most of my life beautiful, perhaps I should be grateful not to have been this way all my life."

"I am thinking that I shall kiss you, because I would like a man to love me for the way I am, not what I look like. Yes I shall kiss you." And so she did.

"I'm really an angel in disguise, I was testing you, for you are dead." Said the woman transforming into a beautiful angel. "Take my hand."

Madeline saw her Grandmother come out. She ran to her. "I love you Grandmother." She said and kissed her. Then she took the angel's hand and flew into the sky.