At last the girl stood before the door of Mother Frost's house.
She had no fear of Mother Frost's great teeth, but walked right up to
the old woman and offered to be her servant.
For a whole day the girl was very busy, and did everything that she was
told to do.
On the second day she began to be lazy, and on the third day she was
still worse.
She would not get up in the morning.
The bed was never made, or shaken, so the feathers could fly about.
At last Mother Frost grew tired of her and told her that she must go
away.
This was what the lazy girl wanted, for she felt sure that now she would
have the golden shower.
Mother Frost led her to the great gate, but she passed under it, a
kettle full of black pitch was upset over her.
[Illustration]
"That is what you get for your work," said the old woman, as she shut
the gate.
The idle girl walked home, covered with pitch.
When she went into the farmyard the cock on the roof cried out:
"Cock-a-doodle-doo!
Our sticky lady has come home, too."
The pitch stuck so fast to the girl that, as long as she lived, it never
came off.
WILLIAM AND JACOB GRIMM
IF EVER I SEE
If ever I see,
On bush or tree,
Young birds in their pretty nest;
I must not, in play,
Steal the birds away,
To grieve their mother's breast.
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