Page 110 [110]
78 GRIMM’S FAIRY TALES.
‘What are you doing here in the wood this winter time in
your little thin frock ?"
“Oh,” answered she, “I have to get a basket of straw¬
berries, and I must not go home without them.”
When she had eaten her bread they gave her a broom, and
told her to go and sweep the snow away from the back door,
When she had gone outside to do it the little men talked
among themselves about what they should do for her, as she
was so good and pretty, and had shared her bread with them.
Then the first one said,
“She shall grow prettier every day.” The second said,
“ Each time she speaks a piece of gold shall fall from her
mouth.” The third said,
“ A king shall come and take her for his wife.”
In the meanwhile the girl was doing as the little men had
told her, and had cleared the snow from the back of the little
house, and what do you suppose she found? fine ripe straw¬
berries, showing dark red against the snow! Then she joyfully
filled her little basket full, thanked the little men, shook hands
with them all, and ran home in haste to bring her step-mother
the thing she longed for. As she went in and said, “ Good
evening,” a piece of gold fell from her mouth at once. Then
she related all that had happened to her in the wood, and at
each word that she spoke gold pieces fell out of her mouth, so
that soon they were scattered all over the room.
“Just look at her pride and conceit !” cried the step-sister,
“throwing money about in this way!” but in her heart she
was jealous because of it, and wanted to go too into the wood
to fetch strawberries. But the mother said,
“No, my dear little daughter, it 1s too cold, you will be
frozen to death.”
But she left her no peace, so at last the mother gave in, got
her a splendid fur coat to put on, and.gave her bread and
butter and cakes to eat on the way.
The girl went into the wood and walked straight up to the
little house. The three little men peeped out again, but she
gave them no greeting, and without looking round or taking
any notice of them she came stumping into the room, sat her¬
self down by the oven, and began to eat her bread and butter
and cakes,
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