Stranica 155 [155]
OCR
ASCHENPUTTEL. 119 make the fires, cook, and wash. Besides that, the sisters did their utmost to torment her,—mocking her, and strewing peas and lentils among the ashes, and setting her to pick them up. In the evenings, when she was quite tired out with her hard day’s work, she had no bed to lie on, but was obliged to rest on the hearth among the cinders. And as she always looked dusty and dirty, they named her Aschenputtel. It happened one day that the father went to the fair, and he asked his two step-daughters what he should bring back for them. “Fine clothes !” said one. ‘Pearls and jewels !” said the other. “But what will you have, Aschenputtel?” said he. “The first twig, father, that strikes against your hat on the way home ; that is what I should like you to bring me.” So he bought for the two step-daughters fine clothes, pearls, and jewels, and on his way back, as he rode through a green lane, a hazel-twig struck against his hat; and he broke there, weeping so bitterly that the tears fell upon it and puttel went to see it three times a day, and wept and prayed, wished for. Now it came to pass that the king ordained a festival that women of that country were bidden, so that the king’s son “Comb our hair, brush our shoes, and make our buckles Aschenputtel, when she heard this, could not help crying, her step-mother to allow her. “What, you Aschenputtel!" said she, “in all your dust
