THE FAIRY’S SERVANTS
From the Basque
Onceupon a time there was a poor woman who had three daughters.
One day the youngest said: “Mother, now that I am old enough, I wish to go out to service.”
The mother thought to herself: “If this one goes, why, there will be more to eat for the rest of us,” so she said: “Very well, good luck go with you.”
The girl set out, and after she had walked a long way she came to a beautiful city. A handsome lady met her, and asked:—
“Where are you going, my child?”
“I am going out to service,” replied the girl.
“Will you come with me to my home?” asked the lady.
“Yes, indeed,” said the girl, “and I’ll try to serve you faithfully.”
The lady led her to a large and fine house, and told her what work she should do that day.
“We are Fairies,” said she. “I must go away for a short time, but do you work in the kitchen while I am gone. Dig up the kitchen floor, smash the pitcher, break the plates. Whip the children,throw dirt in their faces, and rumple their hair.” Then the lady went away.
The girl, who thought these orders very strange, began to feed the children. Just then a little dog came creeping up to her, wagging his tail.
“Bow! Bow! Bow!” said he. “I, too, want something to eat!”
So the girl gave him a plateful of breakfast, and when he had eaten all he wished, he said:—
“You are a good girl, and I will tell you what to do to please my mistress. What she really meant was for you to sweep the kitchen floor, fill the pitcher, wash the dishes, and dress and feed the children. Do all this well, and she will give you the choice of a beautiful star on your forehead or a donkey’s tail hanging from your nose. Then she will offer you a sack of gold or a bag of charcoal. You must choose the donkey’s tail and the bag of charcoal.”
Well, the girl did all as the little dog told her, and when the mistress came home she smiled and said:—
“Choose which you will have, a beautiful star on your forehead, or a donkey’s tail hanging from your nose.”
“A donkey’s tail is the same to me,” said the girl.
“Will you have a sack of gold or a bag of charcoal?” asked the lady.
“The bag of charcoal is the same to me,” said the girl.
Then the lady placed a beautiful star on her forehead, and gave her a big sackful of gold, and told her she might go back to her mother.
The girl thanked the lady, and leaving the house hastened home. When her mother and sisters saw how pretty she was with the star on her forehead, and when they felt the big sack of gold on her shoulder, they were astonished.
Then the eldest sister began to cry and say: “Mother, I will go out and be a servant, too!”
“No! no! my child,” said the mother, “I will not let you go.”
But the girl wept, and would not leave her mother in peace until she said, “Go”; then she set off and walked until she came to the Fairy city.
The handsome lady met her and asked:—
“Where are you going, my child?”
“I am going out to service,” said the girl.
“Will you come with me to my home?” asked the lady.
The girl said she would, so the lady led her to the large and fine house and told her what work she should do that day.
“Dig up the kitchen floor,” said she, “smash the pitcher, break the plates. Whip the children,throw dirt in their faces, and rumple their hair.” Then she went away.
As soon as the lady was gone, the girl began to eat up all the good things in the pantry. Just then the little dog came creeping up to her, wagging his tail.
“Bow! Bow! Bow! I, too, want something to eat,” he said.
“Go away, you horrid little beast,” answered the girl, and she gave him a kick.
But the little dog would not leave her, and followed her about until she drove him from the kitchen with blows. Then she dug up the kitchen floor, smashed the pitcher, broke all the plates, whipped the children, threw dirt in their faces, and rumpled their hair.
By and by the mistress came home, and when she saw what the girl had been doing she frowned and said:—
“Choose which you will have, a beautiful star on your forehead or a donkey’s tail hanging from your nose.”
“A star on my forehead for me,” said the girl.
“Will you have a sack of gold or a bag of charcoal?” asked the lady.
“A sack of gold for me,” said the girl.
Then the lady hung a donkey’s tail on the end of her nose, and gave her a big bag of charcoal, and sent her back to her home. And when hermother saw her she was so ashamed that she locked her in the cellar.
As for the youngest girl, she shared her sack of gold with her mother and other sister, and then she married a fine young man, and lived happily ever after.