Mother Holle

A widow had a lazy daughter and a hard-working stepdaughter. But she loved her own daughter and disliked her stepdaughter, making her work day and night.
One day, the stepdaughter sat in the yard, spinning. She cut her hand and the blood stained the shuttle. Frightened that her stepmother would be very angry, she ran to the well to wash it. But the shuttle fell with a splash into the well. Afraid of her stepmother’s scolding, she jumped in to get the shuttle.
She found herself in a sunlit meadow full of flowers. Seeing a path she walked down it till she heard someone crying out, “Take me out!” She looked around and saw loaves in an oven. So, she took them out quickly.
As she walked along, she again heard a cry for help, “Oh, please shake me! The apples are ripe!” She shook the apple tree and piled up the apples neatly.

She reached a pretty cottage and the old woman there said, “I’m Mother Holle. Would you stay and look after me and my house? I will give you good fortune if you do so properly. You must make my bed also, shaking the quilt and the pillow till the feathers fly!”
The girl willingly agreed and worked hard. She was treated kindly and given good food and a comfortable bed. Mother Holle was very happy. But the girl missed her home.
So, Mother Holle opened a gate and, as the girl stepped through it, a shower of gold pieces came down on her covering her with gold leaves. Mother Holle gave her the shuttle and waved to her.
When she reached home, her stepmother and stepsister were thrilled to see her covered in gold. The girl told them about Mother Holle.

The woman told her lazy daughter to go to Mother Holle so that she too might return covered with gold. The girl grumbled and she was terrified of the well!
But her mother pushed till she finally fell into the well. She too walked down the path, but she was a rude and disobedient girl.
When the loaves called out for help, she walked on. And the loaves got burnt. She refused to shake the tree.
When she met Mother Holle, she agreed to work for her. But soon she wanted to go back home and continue being lazy. Mother Holle sent her back through the gate. The girl rushed through it eagerly, hoping to be covered in gold. She was covered, but with tar!

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