Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 3 1885.djvu/311

Rh blue, and said to her: "Maria, why dost thou weep?" "Have I not just cause to weep, dame, when my tray has gone down the stream, with the tripe I was washing, and my stepmother when she knows of it will beat me to death?" "Do not weep," said the little old woman; "go to that hut which stands on the river's bank, lie down to sleep, and I will go and search for the tripe." Maria went to the hut, and instead of sleeping she set herself to sweep, make the fire and [cook] the little old woman's dinner. Afterwards she lay down, and slept. Soon afterwards there were knocks at the door; she went to open it, and found there the tray with the tripe. She took it, and went to her house. "Why hast thou tarried so long?" said her stepmother. She told her that the tray had gone down the stream, and that a little old woman, clad in blue, had gone to look for it while she remained asleep in her hut; and that on getting up she had found the tray at the door. "What is that thou hast got on thy forehead?" said her stepmother. "I do not know," quoth she. They brought her a looking-glass, and she saw that she had a star on her forehead. Her stepmother tried to take it off by scrubbing her forehead, but the more she scrubbed it the more beautiful and brilliant it became. So she made her hide her forehead with a piece of rag, for envy, so that no one might see it, and because [on account of the star] she showed herself far beyond her own daughter, although she was so in every way already.

Maria, the old woman's daughter, said to her mother, "Mother, order my cow to be slaughtered, and I will also go to wash the tripe, so that a star may come forth on my forehead also, the same as that which this cinder-wench has got." Her mother ordered the cow to be slaughtered, and the girl went to the river with her tray to wash the tripe. While she was washing it, she pushed the tray to float down the stream, and made as if she was weeping. The little old woman clad in blue soon came up and said to her—"Why dost thou weep, little daughter?" "Ought I not to weep?" quoth she, "when my tray has gone down the stream?" "Go and lie down to sleep in yonder hut," said the little old woman to her, "and when thou wakest up thou wilt find the tray." She went raging to the hut, saying, "In this hut, dirty as it is, and on this wretched bed, am I to