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ASCHENPUTTEL. I2I
So there came to the kitchen-window two white doves, and
birds under heaven, chirping and fluttering, and they alighted
among the ashes, and the doves nodded with their heads and
began to pick, peck, pick, peck, and then all the others began
to pick, peck, pick, peck, and put all the good grains into
the dish. And before half-an-hour was over it was all done,
and they flew away. ‘Then the maiden took the dishes to the
step-mother, feeling joyful, and thinking that now she should
go with them to the feast; but she said “ All this is of no
good to you; you cannot come with us, for you have no
proper clothes, and cannot dance ; you would put us to shame.”
Then she turned her back on poor Aschenputtel, and
made haste to set out with her two proud daughters.
And as there was no one left in the house, Aschenputtel
went to her mother’s grave, under the hazel bush, and cried,
(c Little tree, little tree, shake over me,
That silver and gold may come down and cover me.”
Then the bird threw down a dress of gold and silver, and
a pair of slippers embroidered with silk and silver. And in all
haste she put on the dress and went to the festival. But her
step-mother and sisters did not know her, and thought she must
be a foreign princess, she looked so beautiful in her golden
dress. Of Aschenputtel they never thought at all, and
supposed that she was sitting at home, and picking the lentils
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up with any one else, so that he might not be obliged to let go
her hand ; and when any one came to claim it he answered,
‘She is my partner.”
And when the evening came she wanted to go home, but
wanted to see where the beautiful maiden lived. But she
escaped him, and jumped up into the pigeon-house. Then the
prince waited until the father came, and told him the strange
maiden had jumped into the pigeon-house, The father thought
to himself,
“It cannot surely be Aschenputtel,” and called for axes
and hatchets, and had the pigeon-house cut down, but there