Pagina 200 de 626

The girl went back to the well not knowing what to do, and at

last in her distress she jumped into the water after the spindle.

She remembered nothing more until she awoke and found herself in

a beautiful meadow, full of sunshine, and with countless flowers

blooming in every direction.

She walked over the meadow, and presently she came upon a baker's

oven full of bread, and the loaves cried out to her, 'Take us

out, take us out, or alas! we shall be burnt to a cinder; we were

baked through long ago.' So she took the bread-shovel and drew

them all out.

She went on a little farther, till she came to a tree full of

apples. 'Shake me, shake me, I pray,' cried the tree; 'my apples,

one and all, are ripe.' So she shook the tree, and the apples

came falling down upon her like rain; but she continued shaking

until there was not a single apple left upon it. Then she

carefully gathered the apples together in a heap and walked on

again.