"
The maiden went back to the spring to look for the spindle.
She leaned so far over the edge that her hand slipped, and down, down,
she sank to the very bottom.
All at once she found that she was in a beautiful field where many wild
flowers grew.
As she walked across the field, she came to a baker's oven full of new
bread.
The loaves cried to her, "Oh, pull us out! pull us out, or we shall
burn!"
"Indeed I will!" cried the maiden.
Stepping up, she pulled all the sweet brown loaves out of the oven.
As she walked along, she came to a tree full of apples.
The tree cried, "Shake me! shake me! my apples are all quite ripe!"
"Indeed I will!" cried the maiden.
So she shook the tree again and again, until there was not an apple left
on its branches.
Then she picked up the apples, one by one, and piled them in a great
heap.
[Illustration]
When she had picked up all the apples, she walked on.
At last she came to a small house.
In the doorway sat an old woman who had such large teeth that the girl
felt afraid of her and turned to run away.
Then the old woman cried, "What do you fear, my child? Come in and live
here with me. If you will do the work about the house, I will be very
kind to you. Only take care to make my bed well.
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