Mother goose's fairy tales/The Fairy

TALE V.
The Fairy.

THERE was, once upon a time, a widow, who had two daughters. The eldeſt was ſo much like her in the face and humour, that whocver looked upon the daughter, ſaw the mother. They were both ſo diſagreeable and ſo proud, that there was no living with them. The youngeſt, who was the very picture of her father for courteſy and ſweetneſs of temper, was alſo one of the moſt beautiful girls ever ſeen. As people naturally love their own likeneſs, this mother, even doated on her eldeſt daughter, and at the ſame time, had a horrible averſion for the youngeſt. She made her eat in the kitchen, and work continually.

Among other things, this poor child was forced twice a day, to draw water above a mile and a half off the houſe, and bring home a pitcher full of it. One day, as she was at the fountain, there came to her a poor woman, who begged of her to let her drink "O ay, with all my heart, Goody," ſaid this pretty little girl, and riding immediately the pitcher, ſhe took ſome water from the cleareſt part of the fountain, and gave it to her, holding up the pitcher all the while, that ſhe might drink the eaſier.

The good women having drank, ſaid to her, "You are ſo very pretty, my dear, ſo good, and ſo mannerly, that I cannot help giving you a gift, (for this was a Fairy, who had taken the form of a poor country woman, to ſee how far the civility and good manners of this pretty girl would go.) "I will give you for gift, (continued the Fairy) that at every word you ſpeak, there ſhall come out of your mouth either a flower or a jewel

When this pretty girl came home, her mother ſcolded at her for ſtaying ſo long at the fountain. "I beg your garden, mamma, ſaid the poor girl, for not making more haſte, and in ſpeaking there words, there came out of her mouth two roſes, two pearls, and two diamonds. What is it I ſee there? ſaid her mother quite aſtoniſhed, I think I ſee pearls and diamonds come out of the girl's mouth? how happy is this child? This was the firſt time ever ſhe called her child.

The poor creature told her frankly all the matter, it without dropping out infinite numbers of diamonds. "In good faith, cried the mother, I muſt ſend my child thither. Come hither, Fanny, look what comes out of thy ſiſter's mouth, when ſhe ſpeaks? Wouldſt thou not be glad, my dear, to have the ſame gift given unto thee? Thou haſt nothing elſe to do but go and draw water out of the fountain, and when a certain poor woman aſks you to let her drink, to give it to her very civilly. It would be a very fine ſight indeed, ſaid this ill-bred minx, to ſee me go draw water. You ſhall go, huſſy, ſaid the mother, and this minute. So away ſhe went, but grumbling all the way, taking with her the beſt ſilver tankard in the houſe.

She was no ſooner at the fountain, than ſhe ſaw coming out of the wood, a lady moſt gloriouſly dreſſed, who came up to her, and aſked to drink. This was, you muſt know, the very Fairy who appeared to her ſiſter, but had now taken the air and dreſs of a princeſs, to ſee how far this girl's rudeneſs would go. "Am I come hither, ſaid the proud ſaucy ſlut, to ſerve you with water, pray? I ſuppoſe the ſilver tankard was brought purely for your ladyſhip: was it? However, you may drink of it if you have a fancy"

"You are not over and above mannerly," anſwered the fairy, without putting herſelf into a paſſion; "Well then, ſince you have ſo little breeding, and are ſo very diſobliging, I give you for gift, that at every word you ſpeak, there shall come out of your mouth a ſnake or a toad." So ſoon as her mother ſaw her coming, ſhe cried out, "Well daughter"—"Well, mother," anſwered the pert huſſy, throwing out of her mouth two vipers and two toads. "O mercy!" cried the mother, "what is it I ſee? O, it is that wretch her ſiſter, who has occaſioned all this, but ſhe ſhall pay for it;" and immediately ſhe ran to beat her. The poor child fled away from her, and went to hide herſelf in the foreſt not far from thence. The king's ſon, then on his return from hunting, met her, and ſeeing her very pretty, aſked her, "What ſhe did there alone, and why ſhe cried?" "Alas, Sir, my mamma has turned me out of doors."—The king's ſon, who ſaw five or ſix pearls, and as many diamonds come out of her mouth, deſired her to tell him how that happened. She thereupon told him the whole ſtory, and ſo the king's ſon fell iu love with her, and conſidering with himſelf that ſuch a gift was worth more than any marriage-portion whatſoever in another, conducted her to the palace of the king his father, and there married her.

As for her ſiſter, ſhe made herſelf ſo much hated, that her own mother turned her off; and the miſerable wretch having wandered about a good while, without finding any body to take her in, went to a corner in a wood, and there died.

FINIS.

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J. Neilson, printer.