Jakob Grimm

ASHPUTTEL
The wife of a rich man fell sick;

And the snow fell and spread a beautiful white covering over the grave;

Then they took away her fine clothes, and gave her an old grey frock to put on, and laughed at her, and turned her into the kitchen.

There she was forced to do hard work; to rise early before daylight, to bring the water, to make the fire, to cook and to wash.

and cried so much that it was watered with her tears; and there it grew and became a fine tree.

Now it happened that the king of that land held a feast, which was to last three days; a

And when she kept on begging, s

But the mother said, 'No, no! you slut, you have no clothes, and cannot dance; you shall not go.'

And when Ashputtel begged very hard to go,

and cried out as before:

'Hither, hither, through the sky, Turtle-doves and linnets, fly!

Blackbird, thrush, and chaffinch gay, Hither, hither, haste away!

One and all come help me, quick!