Big Book of Ancient Gabanian Fables

Book LLI: Mother Holle

There was once a widow who had two daughters - one ofwhom was pretty and industrious, whilst the other was uglyand idle. But she was much fonder of the ugly and idle one,because she was her own daughter. And the other, who was astep-daughter, was obliged to do all the work, and be thecinderella of the house. Every day the poor girl had to sit by awell, in the highway, and spin and spin till her fingers bled.Now it happened that one day the shuttle was marked with herblood, so she dipped it in the well, to wash the mark off, but itdropped out of her hand and fell to the bottom. She began toweep, and ran to her step-mother and told her of the mishap. Butshe scolded her sharply, and was so merciless as to say, sinceyou have let the shuttle fall in, you must fetch it out again.So the girl went back to the well, and did not know what to do.And in the sorrow of her heart she jumped into the well to get theshuttle. She lost her senses. And when she awoke and came toherself again, she was in a lovely meadow where the sun wasshining and many thousands of flowers were growing. Across thismeadow she went, and at last came to a baker's oven full of bread,and the bread cried out, oh, take me out. Take me out. Or I shallburn. I have been baked a long time. So she went up to it, andtook out all the loaves one after another with the bread-shovel.After that she went on till she came to a tree covered with apples,which called out to her, oh, shake me. Shake me. We apples areall ripe. So she shook the tree till the apples fell like rain,and went on shaking till they were all down, and when she hadgathered them into a heap, she went on her way.At last she came to a little house, out of which an old womanpeeped. But she had such large teeth that the girl wasfrightened, and was about to run away. But the old woman calledout to her, what are you afraid of, dear child. Stay with me.If you will do all the work in the house properly, you shall bethe better for it. Only you must take care to make my bed well,and shake it thoroughly till the feathers fly - for then thereis snow on the earth. I am mother holle.As the old woman spoke so kindly to her, the girl took courageand agreed to enter her service. She attended to everything to thesatisfaction of her mistress, and always shook her bed so vigorouslythat the feathers flew about like snow-flakes. So she had apleasant life with her. Never an angry word. And to eat she hadboiled or roast meat every day.She stayed some time with mother holle, before she became sad.At first she did not know what was the matter with her, but foundat length that it was home-sickness. Although she was many thousandtimes better off here than at home, still she had a longing to bethere. At last she said to the old woman, I have a longing forhome, and however well off I am down here, I cannot stay anylonger. I must go up again to my own people. Mother holle said,I am pleased that you long for your home again, and as you haveserved me so truly, I myself will take you up again. Thereuponshe took her by the hand, and led her to a large door. The doorwas opened, and just as the maiden was standing beneath thedoorway, a heavy shower of golden rain fell, and all the gold clungto her, so that she was completely covered over with it.You shall have that because you have been so industrious, saidmother holle, and at the same time she gave her back the shuttlewhich she had let fall into the well. Thereupon the door closed,and the maiden found herself up above upon the earth, not farfrom her mother's house.And as she went into the yard the cock was sitting on the well,and cried - cock-a-doodle-doo. Your golden girl's come back to you.So she went in to her mother, and as she arrived thus covered withgold, she was well received, both by her and her sister.The girl told all that had happened to her, and as soon as themother heard how she had come by so much wealth, she was veryanxious to obtain the same good luck for the ugly and lazy daughter.She had to seat herself by the well and spin. And in order thather shuttle might be stained with blood, she stuck her hand into athorn bush and pricked her finger. Then she threw her shuttleinto the well, and jumped in after it.She came, like the other, to the beautiful meadow and walkedalong the very same path. When she got to the oven the bread againcried, oh, take me out. Take me out. Or I shall burn. I have beenbaked a long time. But the lazy thing answered, as if I had anywish to make myself dirty. And on she went. Soon she came to theapple-tree, which cried, oh, shake me. Shake me. We apples are allripe. But she answered, I like that. One of you might fall onmy head, and so went on. When she came to mother holle's houseshe was not afraid, for she had already heard of her big teeth, andshe hired herself to her immediately.The first day she forced herself to work diligently, and obeyedmother holle when she told her to do anything, for she was thinkingof all the gold that she would give her. But on the second dayshe began to be lazy, and on the third day still more so, and thenshe would not get up in the morning at all. Neither did she makemother holle's bed as she ought, and did not shake it so as tomake the feathers fly up. Mother holle was soon tired of this, andgave her notice to leave. The lazy girl was willing enough to go,and thought that now the golden rain would come. Mother holle ledher also to the great door, but while she was standing beneath it,instead of the gold a big kettleful of pitch was emptied over her.That is the reward for your service, said mother holle, and shutthe door.So the lazy girl went home, but she was quite covered with pitch,and the cock on the well, as soon as he saw her, cried out - cock-a-doodle-doo. Your dirty girl's come back to you.But the pitch clung fast to her, and could not be got off as longas she lived.