Kila: Mother Hulda

Kila: Mother Hulda - a story book from Kila

Kila offers fun story books to stimulate the love of reading. Kila’s story books help kids to enjoy reading and learning with a plentiful amount of fables and fairy tales.

A widow had two daughters; one was pretty and the other was ugly. Because the ugly one was her own daughter, she loved her much more.

Every day, the pretty girl had to sit by a well and spin thread until her fingers bled. It happened once that she dropped the spindle into the well.

She jumped down into the well where the spindle had gone.

She found herself in a beautiful meadow, with the sun shining on flowers that grew around her.

She walked on through the meadow until she came to a baker's oven that was full of bread. She took all the loaves out because they were already baked enough.

She went further on until she came to a tree weighed down with ripe apples. She shook the tree until the apples fell like rain, and gathered them together in a heap.

Finally, she came to a little house where there was an old woman with great big teeth. She said to the girl, “If you do the housework well and keep the house orderly for me, things shall go well for you, for I am Mother Hulda."

The girl did everything to the old woman's satisfaction. After a long time, she began to get homesick even though this place was a thousand times better than home.

The old woman returned to her spinning wheel and took her to a large door which was open. As she was passing through it, a heavy shower of gold fell and clung to her.

And then the door was shut, and the girl found herself at home. The cockerel stood on the top of the well and cried: "Cock-a-doodle doo! Our golden girl has come home too!"

Then she went in to see her mother, and because she had returned all covered with gold she was well received.

The girl told all of her story and the mother began to wish that her ugly daughter might have the same good fortune.

So the ugly girl threw the spindle into the well, and jumped in. She found herself in the beautiful meadow, and followed the same path.

When she came to the baker's oven, the bread cried for help. But the lazy girl answered, "I have no desire to black my hands," and went on farther.

Soon she came to the apple tree, it also cried for help. But she answered, "That is all very fine," and went on further.

When she came to Mother Hulda's house, she entered into her service at once.

On the first day she worked well because of the gold she was expecting; but in the following days, she began to be idle and do nothing.

Finally, Mother Hulda led her to the door and, instead of gold, a kettle full of pitch was emptied over her. "That is the reward for your service," said Mother Hulda, and shut the door.

So the lazy girl came home and the cock cried, "Cock-a-doodle doo! Our dirty girl has come home too!" And the pitch remained stuck to her for as long as she lived.

We hope you enjoy this book. If there are any problems please contact us at [email protected]
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