17-the water-lily

THE WATER-LILY. THE GOLD-SPINNERSONCE upon a time, in a large forest, there lived an oldwoman and three maidens. They were all three beautiful,but the youngest was the fairest. Their hut was quitehidden by trees, and none saw their beauty but the sunby day, and the moon by night, and the eyes of the stars.The old woman kept the girls hard at work, from morningtill night, spinning gold flax into yarn, and when onedistaff was empty another was given them, so they hadno rest. The thread had to be fine and even, and whendone was locked up in a secret chamber by the old woman,who twice or thrice every summer went a journey.Before she went she gave out work for each day of her...

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