the brothers Grimm original stories

the 3 spinners

There was once a girl who was idle and would not spin, and

let her mother say what she would, she could not bring her

to it. At last the mother was once so overcome with anger

and impatience, that she beat her, at which the girl began

to weep loudly. Now at this very moment the queen drove by,

and when she heard the weeping she stopped her carriage, went

into the house and asked the mother why she was beating her

daughter so that the cries could be heard out on the road. Then

the woman was ashamed to reveal the laziness of her daughter

and said, I cannot get her to leave off spinning. She insists

on spinning for ever and ever, and I am poor, and cannot

procure the flax. Then

answered the queen, there is nothing that I like better to hear

than spinning, and I am never happier than when the wheels are

humming. Let me have your daughter with me in the palace. I

have flax enough, and there she shall spin as much as she likes.

The mother was heartily satisfied with this, and the queen

took the girl with her. When they had arrived at the palace,

she led her up into three rooms which were filled from the

bottom to the top with the finest flax. Now spin me this flax,

said she, and when you have done it, you shall have my eldest

son for a husband, even if you are poor. I care not for that,

your untiring industry is dowry enough. The girl was secretly

terrified, for she could not have spun the flax, no, not if

she had lived till she was three hundred years old, and had

sat at it every day from morning till night. When therefore she

was alone, she began to weep, and sat thus for three days

without moving a finger. On the third day came the queen, and

when she saw that nothing had yet been spun, she was surprised,

but the girl excused herself by saying that she had not been able

to begin because of her great distress at leaving her mother's

house. The queen was satisfied with this, but said when she was

going away, tomorrow you must begin to work.

When the girl was alone again, she did not know what to do, and

in her distress went to the window. Then she saw three women

coming towards her, the first of whom had a broad flat foot, the

second had such a great underlip that it hung down over her chin,

and the third had a broad thumb. They remained standing before

the window, looked up, and asked the girl what was amiss with

her. She complained of her trouble, and then they offered

her their help and said, if you will invite us to the wedding,

not be ashamed of us, and will call us your aunts, and likewise

will place us at your table, we will spin up the flax for you,

and that in a very short time. With all my heart, she replied,

do but come in and begin the work at once. Then she let in the

three strange women, and cleared a place in the first room,

where they seated themselves and began their spinning. The one

drew the thread and trod the wheel, the other wetted the thread,

the third twisted it, and struck the table

with her finger, and as often as she struck it, a skein of

thread fell to the ground that was spun in the finest manner

possible. The girl concealed the three spinners from the queen,

and showed her whenever she came the great quantity of spun

thread, until the latter could not praise her enough. When

the first room was empty she went to the second, and at last to

the third, and that too was quickly cleared. Then the three women

took leave and said to the girl, do not forget what you have

promised us - it will make your fortune.

When the maiden showed the queen the empty rooms, and the great

heap of yarn, she gave orders for the wedding, and the bridegroom

rejoiced that he was to have such a clever and industrious wife,

and praised her mightily. I have three aunts, said the girl,

and as they have been very kind to me, I should not like to

forget them in my good fortune, allow me to invite them to the

wedding, and let them sit with us at table. The queen and the

bridegroom said, why should we not allow that. Therefore when

the feast began, the three women entered in strange apparel, and

the bride said, welcome, dear aunts. Ah, said the bridegroom,

how do you come by these odious friends. Thereupon he went to

the one with the broad flat foot, and said, how do you come by

such a broad foot. By treading, she answered, by treading. Then

the bridegroom went to the second, and said, how do you come by

your falling lip. By licking, she answered, by licking. Then

he asked the third, how do you come by your broad thumb. By

twisting the thread, she answered, by twisting the thread. On

this the king's son was alarmed and said, neither now nor ever

shall my beautiful bride touch a spinning-wheel. And thus she

got rid of the hateful flax-spinning.