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LISTENto a fairy story!
Once upon a time there lived a woman who had two daughters. The elder daughter was very like her mother. She was proud and unkind, and no one liked to be near her.
The younger daughter was very like her father. She was kind and sweet tempered, and everybody loved her.
You can hardly believe it, but the mother kept the elder daughter always by her side, while the younger was made to eat by herself and to work very hard.
Twice a day the poor little girl had to walk to a spring two miles away, to get a pitcher of water. On bright days and dull, in sunshine and in storm, her little feet trudged over the long path.
One day, as she stood by the spring, a poor old woman came to her.
“Pray, give me a drink, child,” she said.
“With all my heart,” replied the little girl.
She filled her pitcher with clear water, and held it to the old woman’s lips. When she had drunk all the water, the woman said, “You are so kind, my dear, so good and so thoughtful, that I will give you a gift.”
Meyer von Bremen.
FIRST AT THE WELL.Now you must know that this was a fairy, who had taken the form of an old woman to see how she would be treated.
“I will give you this gift,” said the fairy, “that at every word you speak jewels shall come out of your mouth.”
The little girl ran home as fast as she could; but her mother scolded her for staying so long at the spring.
“I beg your pardon,” said the child. “I did not mean to stay. What do you think—!” As she spoke, diamonds and pearls fell from her lips.
“What is this?” cried the mother. “Jewels coming from your mouth? How does this come about?”
The child told her mother all that had happened. As she spoke, more pearls and diamonds poured from her lips.
“Dear me!” cried the mother, “I must send my child. Come here!” she said to the older sister. “Take this pitcher, go to the spring, and bring me some water!”
“A fine thing for me to do!” said the selfish child. “Why do you not go yourself?”
The mother coaxed and pleaded, until at last the naughty girl lifted the pitcher and went, grumbling, toward the spring.
As she neared the fountain she met a lady, who said to her, “Ah! you are just in time. Will you please to give me a drink of water?”
“I did not come to serve you,” said the saucy girl. “You can get water from the spring as easily as I can.”
Of course you have guessed that this lady was the same fairy who had met the good little sister.
She looked the naughty girl in the face and said quietly: “You have an unkind spirit. I will give you a gift. Whenever you speak, snakes and toads shall pour from your mouth.”
The girl ran to her mother, and threw the pitcher at her feet.
“Did you meet the fairy?” cried the mother.
The daughter opened her mouth to speak. Toads and vipers leaped from her lips.
“What is this?” cried the mother. Her daughter tried to answer, but at every word the ugly creatures leaped from her mouth.
And so it was forever after. Pearls and diamonds rained from the lips of the kind sister, and ugly creatures leaped from the mouth of the selfish, saucy girl who thought of no one but herself.
— CERRAULT