Page:Grimm-Rackham.djvu/169

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Mother Hulda

the morning, nor did she make Mother Hulda’s bed as she ought; nor shake it till the feathers came out.

Mother Hulda soon grew tired of this, and discharged her.

The lazy girl was well enough pleased to go, and thought now the shower of gold would come.

Mother Hulda conducted her to the same gate; but when she passed

through, a shower of pitch fell upon her, instead of a shower of gold.

‘That is the reward for your service,’ said Mother Hulda, as she shut the gate behind her.

So the lazy girl went home, but she was quite covered with pitch; and when the Cock on the well saw her, he cried—

Cock-a-doodle-doo,
Our dirty maid, I see,
Has now come home to me.’

The pitch stuck to her as long as she lived; she could never get rid of it.
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