Pagina 333 de 626

Three times every day she went to it and cried; and soon a little

bird came and built its nest upon the tree, and talked with her,

and watched over her, and brought her whatever she wished for.

Now it happened that the king of that land held a feast, which

was to last three days; and out of those who came to it his son

was to choose a bride for himself. Ashputtel's two sisters were

asked to come; so they called her up, and said, 'Now, comb our

hair, brush our shoes, and tie our sashes for us, for we are

going to dance at the king's feast.' Then she did as she was

told; but when all was done she could not help crying, for she

thought to herself, she should so have liked to have gone with

them to the ball; and at last she begged her mother very hard to

let her go. 'You, Ashputtel!' said she; 'you who have nothing to

wear, no clothes at all, and who cannot even dance--you want to

go to the ball? And when she kept on begging, she said at last,

to get rid of her, 'I will throw this dishful of peas into the

ash-heap, and if in two hours' time you have picked them all out,

you shall go to the feast too.'