<h2>Ashenputtel</h2>
<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HE wife of a rich man fell ill, and when she felt that she
was nearing her end, she called her only daughter to
her bedside, and said:</p>
<p>‘Dear child, continue devout and good, then God will
always help you, and I will look down upon you from heaven,
and watch over you.’</p>
<p>Thereupon she closed her eyes, and breathed her last.</p>
<p>The maiden went to her mother’s grave every day and
wept, and she continued to be devout and good. When the
winter came, the snow spread a white covering on the grave,
and when the sun of spring had unveiled it again, the husband
took another wife. The new wife brought home with her
two daughters, who were fair and beautiful to look upon, but
base and black at heart.</p>
<p>Then began a sad time for the unfortunate step-child.</p>
<p>‘Is this stupid goose to sit with us in the parlour?’ they
said.</p>
<p>‘Whoever wants to eat bread must earn it; go and sit
with the kitchenmaid.’</p>
<p>They took away her pretty clothes, and made her put on an
old grey frock, and gave her wooden clogs.</p>
<p>‘Just look at the proud Princess, how well she’s dressed,’
they laughed, as they led her to the kitchen. There, the girl
was obliged to do hard work from morning till night, to get
up at daybreak, carry water, light the fire, cook, and wash.
Not content with that, the sisters inflicted on her every
vexation they could think of; they made fun of her, and
tossed the peas and lentils among the ashes, so that she had to
<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_29" id="Page_29"></SPAN></span>
sit down and pick them out again. In the evening, when she
was worn out with work, she had no bed to go to, but had to
lie on the hearth among the cinders. And because, on account
of that, she always looked dusty and dirty, they called her
Ashenputtel.</p>
<p>It happened one day that the Father had a mind to go to
the Fair. So he asked both his step-daughters what he should
bring home for them.</p>
<p>‘Fine clothes,’ said one.</p>
<p>‘Pearls and jewels,’ said the other.</p>
<p>‘But you, Ashenputtel?’ said he, ‘what will you have?’</p>
<p>‘Father, break off for me the first twig which brushes
against your hat on your way home.’</p>
<p>Well, for his two step-daughters he brought beautiful
clothes, pearls and jewels, and on his way home, as he was
riding through a green copse, a hazel twig grazed against him
and knocked his hat off. Then he broke off the branch and
took it with him.</p>
<p>When he got home he gave his step-daughters what they
had asked for, and to Ashenputtel he gave the twig from the
hazel bush.</p>
<p>Ashenputtel thanked him, and went to her mother’s grave
and planted the twig upon it; she wept so much that her
tears fell and watered it. And it took root and became a
fine tree.</p>
<p>Ashenputtel went to the grave three times every day, wept
and prayed, and every time a little white bird came and
perched upon the tree, and when she uttered a wish, the little
bird threw down to her what she had wished for.</p>
<p>Now it happened that the King proclaimed a festival,
which was to last three days, and to which all the beautiful
maidens in the country were invited, in order that his son
might choose a bride.</p>
<p>When the two step-daughters heard that they were also to
be present, they were in high spirits, called Ashenputtel, and
said:</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_30" id="Page_30"></SPAN></span>
‘Brush our hair and clean our shoes, and fasten our
buckles, for we are going to the feast at the King’s palace.’</p>
<p>Ashenputtel obeyed, but wept, for she also would gladly
have gone to the ball with them, and begged her Step-mother
to give her leave to go.</p>
<p>‘You, Ashenputtel!’ she said. ‘Why, you are covered
with dust and dirt. You go to the festival! Besides you
have no clothes or shoes, and yet you want to go to the ball.’</p>
<p>As she, however, went on asking, her Step-mother said:</p>
<p>‘Well, I have thrown a dishful of lentils into the cinders, if
you have picked them all out in two hours you shall go with
us.’</p>
<p>The girl went through the back door into the garden, and
cried, ‘Ye gentle doves, ye turtle doves, and all ye little birds
under heaven, come and help me,</p>
<div class="cpoem">
<div class="poem">
<div class="stanza">
<span class="i0">‘The good into a dish to throw,<br/></span>
<span class="i0">The bad into your crops can go.’<br/></span></div>
</div></div>
<p>Then two white doves came in by the kitchen window,
and were followed by the turtle doves, and finally all the little
birds under heaven flocked in, chirping, and settled down
among the ashes. And the doves gave a nod with their little
heads, peck, peck, peck; and then the rest began also, peck,
peck, peck, and collected all the good beans into the dish.
Scarcely had an hour passed before they had finished, and all
flown out again.</p>
<p>Then the girl brought the dish to her Step-mother, and
was delighted to think that now she would be able to go to the
feast with them.</p>
<p>But she said, ‘No, Ashenputtel, you have no clothes, and
cannot dance; you will only be laughed at.’</p>
<p>But when she began to cry, the Step-mother said:</p>
<p>‘If you can pick out two whole dishes of lentils from the
ashes in an hour, you shall go with us.’</p>
<p>And she thought, ‘She will never be able to do that.’</p>
<div class="figcenter ipadbase" style="width: 468px;">
<SPAN name="pl04" id="pl04"></SPAN>
<ANTIMG src="images/pl04.jpg" width-obs="468" height-obs="600" alt="Ashenputtel goes to the ball." /></div>
<p>When her Step-mother had thrown the dishes of lentils
<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_31" id="Page_31"></SPAN></span>
among the ashes, the girl went out through the back door,
and cried, ‘Ye gentle doves, ye turtle doves, and all ye little
birds under heaven, come and help me,</p>
<div class="cpoem">
<div class="poem">
<div class="stanza">
<span class="i0">‘The good into a dish to throw,<br/></span>
<span class="i0">The bad into your crops can go.’<br/></span></div>
</div></div>
<p>Then two white doves came in by the kitchen window,
and were followed by the turtle doves, and all the other little
birds under heaven, and in less than an hour the whole had
been picked up, and they had all flown away.</p>
<p>Then the girl carried the dish to her Step-mother, and was
delighted to think that she would now be able to go to the ball.</p>
<p>But she said, ‘It’s not a bit of good. You can’t go with
us, for you’ve got no clothes, and you can’t dance. We
should be quite ashamed of you.’</p>
<p>Thereupon she turned her back upon her, and hurried off
with her two proud daughters.</p>
<p>As soon as every one had left the house, Ashenputtel went
out to her mother’s grave under the hazel-tree, and cried:</p>
<div class="cpoem">
<div class="poem">
<div class="stanza">
<span class="i0">‘Shiver and shake, dear little tree,<br/></span>
<span class="i0">Gold and silver shower on me.’<br/></span></div>
</div></div>
<p>Then the bird threw down to her a gold and silver robe,
and a pair of slippers embroidered with silk and silver.
With all speed she put on the robe and went to the feast.
But her step-sisters and their mother did not recognise her,
and supposed that she was some foreign Princess, so beautiful
did she appear in her golden dress. They never gave a
thought to Ashenputtel, but imagined that she was sitting at
home in the dirt picking the lentils out of the cinders.</p>
<p>The Prince came up to the stranger, took her by the hand,
and danced with her. In fact, he would not dance with any
one else, and never left go of her hand. If any one came up
to ask her to dance, he said, ‘This is my partner.’</p>
<p>She danced until nightfall, and then wanted to go home;
but the Prince said, ‘I will go with you and escort you.’</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_32" id="Page_32"></SPAN></span>
For he wanted to see to whom the beautiful maiden
belonged. But she slipped out of his way and sprang into the
pigeon-house.</p>
<p>Then the Prince waited till her Father came, and told him
that the unknown maiden had vanished into the pigeon-house.</p>
<p>The old man thought, ‘Could it be Ashenputtel?’ And
he had an axe brought to him, so that he might break down
the pigeon-house, but there was no one inside.</p>
<p>When they went home, there lay Ashenputtel in her dirty
clothes among the cinders, and a dismal oil lamp was burning
in the chimney corner. For Ashenputtel had quietly jumped
down out of the pigeon-house and ran back to the hazel-tree.
There she had taken off her beautiful clothes and laid them
on the grave, and the bird had taken them away again. Then
she had settled herself among the ashes on the hearth in her
old grey frock.</p>
<p>On the second day, when the festival was renewed, and her
parents and step-sisters had started forth again, Ashenputtel
went to the hazel-tree, and said:</p>
<div class="cpoem">
<div class="poem">
<div class="stanza">
<span class="i0">‘Shiver and shake, dear little tree,<br/></span>
<span class="i0">Gold and silver shower on me.’<br/></span></div>
</div></div>
<p>Then the bird threw down a still more gorgeous robe than
on the previous day. And when she appeared at the festival
in this robe, every one was astounded by her beauty.</p>
<p>The King’s son had waited till she came, and at once took
her hand, and she danced with no one but him. When others
came forward and invited her to dance, he said, ‘This is my
partner.’</p>
<p>At nightfall she wished to leave; but the Prince went after
her, hoping to see into what house she went, but she sprang
out into the garden behind the house. There stood a fine
big tree on which the most delicious pears hung. She climbed
up among the branches as nimbly as a squirrel, and the Prince
could not make out what had become of her.</p>
<p>But he waited till her Father came, and then said to him,
<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_33" id="Page_33"></SPAN></span>
‘The unknown maiden has slipped away from me, and I think
that she has jumped into the pear-tree.’</p>
<p>The Father thought, ‘Can it be Ashenputtel?’ And he
had the axe brought to cut down the tree, but there was no one
on it. When they went home and looked into the kitchen,
there lay Ashenputtel among the cinders as usual; for she
had jumped down on the other side of the tree, taken back the
beautiful clothes to the bird on the hazel-tree, and put on her
old grey frock.</p>
<p>On the third day, when her parents and sisters had started,
Ashenputtel went again to her mother’s grave, and said:</p>
<div class="cpoem">
<div class="poem">
<div class="stanza">
<span class="i0">‘Shiver and shake, dear little tree,<br/></span>
<span class="i0">Gold and silver shower on me.’<br/></span></div>
</div></div>
<p>Then the bird threw down a dress which was so magnificent
that no one had ever seen the like before, and the slippers were
entirely of gold. When she appeared at the festival in this
attire, they were all speechless with astonishment. The
Prince danced only with her, and if any one else asked her to
dance, he said, ‘This is my partner.’</p>
<p>When night fell and she wanted to leave, the Prince was
more desirous than ever to accompany her, but she darted
away from him so quickly that he could not keep up with
her. But the Prince had used a stratagem, and had caused
the steps to be covered with cobbler’s wax. The consequence
was, that as the maiden sprang down them, her left slipper
remained sticking there. The Prince took it up. It was
small and dainty, and entirely made of gold.</p>
<p>The next morning he went with it to Ashenputtel’s Father,
and said to him, ‘No other shall become my wife but she whose
foot this golden slipper fits.’</p>
<p>The two sisters were delighted at that, for they both had
beautiful feet. The eldest went into the room intending to
try on the slipper, and her Mother stood beside her. But her
great toe prevented her getting it on, her foot was too long.</p>
<p>Then her Mother handed her a knife, and said, ‘Cut off
<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_34" id="Page_34"></SPAN></span>
the toe; when you are Queen you won’t have to walk any
more.’</p>
<p>The girl cut off her toe, forced her foot into the slipper,
stifled her pain, and went out to the Prince. Then he took
her up on his horse as his Bride, and rode away with her.</p>
<p>However, they had to pass the grave on the way, and there
sat the two Doves on the hazel-tree, and cried:</p>
<div class="cpoem">
<div class="poem">
<div class="stanza">
<span class="i0">‘Prithee, look back, prithee, look back,<br/></span>
<span class="i0">There’s blood on the track,<br/></span>
<span class="i0">The shoe is too small,<br/></span>
<span class="i0">At home the true Bride is waiting thy call.’<br/></span></div>
</div></div>
<p>Then he looked at her foot and saw how the blood was
streaming from it. So he turned his horse round and carried
the false Bride back to her home, and said that she was not
the right one; the second sister must try the shoe.</p>
<p>Then she went into the room, and succeeded in getting her
toes into the shoe, but her heel was too big.</p>
<p>Then her Mother handed her a knife, and said, ‘Cut a bit
off your heel; when you are Queen you won’t have to walk
any more.’</p>
<p>The maiden cut a bit off her heel, forced her foot into the
shoe, stifled her pain, and went out to the Prince.</p>
<p>Then he took her up on his horse as his Bride, and rode off
with her.</p>
<p>As they passed the grave, the two Doves were sitting on the
hazel-tree, and crying:</p>
<div class="cpoem">
<div class="poem">
<div class="stanza">
<span class="i0">‘Prithee, look back, prithee, look back,<br/></span>
<span class="i0">There’s blood on the track,<br/></span>
<span class="i0">The shoe is too small,<br/></span>
<span class="i0">At home the true Bride is waiting thy call.’<br/></span></div>
</div></div>
<p>He looked down at her foot and saw that it was streaming
with blood, and there were deep red spots on her stockings.
Then he turned his horse and brought the false Bride back to
her home.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_35" id="Page_35"></SPAN></span>
‘This is not the right one either,’ he said. ‘Have you no
other daughter?’</p>
<p>‘No,’ said the man. ‘There is only a daughter of my
late wife’s, a puny, stunted drudge, but she cannot possibly
be the Bride.’</p>
<p>The Prince said that she must be sent for.</p>
<p>But the Mother answered, ‘Oh no, she is much too dirty;
she mustn’t be seen on any account.’</p>
<p>He was, however, absolutely determined to have his way,
and they were obliged to summon Ashenputtel.</p>
<p>When she had washed her hands and face, she went up and
curtsied to the Prince, who handed her the golden slipper.</p>
<p>Then she sat down on a bench, pulled off her wooden clog
and put on the slipper, which fitted to a nicety.</p>
<p>And when she stood up and the Prince looked into her
face, he recognised the beautiful maiden that he had danced
with, and cried: ‘This is the true Bride!’</p>
<p>The Step-mother and the two sisters were dismayed and
turned white with rage; but he took Ashenputtel on his horse
and rode off with her.</p>
<p>As they rode past the hazel-tree the two White Doves
cried:</p>
<div class="cpoem">
<div class="poem">
<div class="stanza">
<span class="i0">‘Prithee, look back, prithee, look back,<br/></span>
<span class="i0">No blood’s on the track,<br/></span>
<span class="i0">The shoe’s <em>not</em> too small,<br/></span>
<span class="i0">You carry the true Bride home to your hall.’<br/></span></div>
</div></div>
<p>And when they had said this they both came flying down,
and settled on Ashenputtel’s shoulders, one on the right, and
one on the left, and remained perched there.</p>
<p>When the wedding was going to take place, the two false
sisters came and wanted to curry favour with her, and take
part in her good fortune. As the bridal party was going to
the church, the eldest was on the right side, the youngest on
the left, and the Doves picked out one of the eyes of each of
them.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_36" id="Page_36"></SPAN></span>
Afterwards, when they were coming out of the church,
the elder was on the left, the younger on the right, and the
Doves picked out the other eye of each of them. And so for
their wickedness and falseness they were punished with
blindness for the rest of their days.</p>
<p class="padtop"><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_37" id="Page_37"></SPAN></span></p>
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