Page:Popular tales from the Norse (1912).djvu/509

 Rh quick and willing he was, and the horses he looked after were so sleek and clean that their coats shone again.

But the sister who stayed at home was treated worse than bad; both her stepmother and stepsister were always at her, and wherever she went, and whatever she did, they scolded and snarled so, the poor lassie hadn't an hour's peace. All the hard work she was forced to do, and early and late she got nothing but bad words, and little food besides.

So one day they had sent her to the burn to fetch water; and what do you think? up popped an ugly, ugly head out of the pool, and said,—

"Wash me, you lassie."

"Yes, with all my heart, I'll wash you," said the lassie.

So she began to wash and scrub the ugly head; but truth to say she thought it nasty work.

Well, as soon as she had done washing it, up popped another head out of the pool, and this was uglier still.

"Brush me, you lassie," said the head.

"Yes, with all my heart, I'll brush you."

And with that she took in hand the matted locks, and you may fancy she hadn't very pleasant work with them.

But when she had got over that, if a third head didn't pop up out of the pool, and this was far more ugly and loathsome than both the others put together.

"Kiss me, you lassie!"

"Yes, I'll kiss you," said the lassie, and she did it too, though she thought it the worst work she had ever had to do in her life.

Then the heads began to chatter together, and each asked what they should do for the lassie who was so kind and gentle.