The wife of a rich man fell sick; and when she felt that her enddrew nigh, she called her only daughter to her bed-side, and said,«Always be a good girl, and I will look down from heaven and watchover you.» Soon afterwards she shut her eyes and died, and was buriedin the garden; and the little girl went every day to her grave andwept, and was always good and kind to all about her. And the snow felland spread a beautiful white covering over the grave; but by the timethe spring came, and the sun had melted it away again, her father hadmarried another wife. This new wife had two daughters of her own, thatshe brought home with her; they were fair in face but foul at heart,and it was now a sorry time for the poor little girl. «What does thegood-for-nothing want in the parlour?» said they; «they who wouldeat bread should first earn it; away with the kitchen-maid!» Thenthey took away her fine clothes, and gave her an old gray frock to puton, 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. Besides that,the sisters plagued her in all sorts of ways, and laughed at her.In the evening when she was tired, she had no bed to lie down on, butwas made to lie by the hearth among the ashes; and as this, of course,made her always dusty and dirty, they called her Ashputtel.
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