صفحة 331 من 626

'What does the good-for-nothing want in the parlour?' said they;

'they who would eat bread should first earn it; away with the

kitchen-maid!' Then they took away her fine clothes, and gave her

an old grey frock to put on, 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, but was made to lie by the hearth among the

ashes; and as this, of course, made her always dusty and dirty,

they called her Ashputtel.