There was once on a time a maiden who was pretty, but
idle and negligent. When she had to spin she was so out
of temper that if there was a little knot in the flax, she
at once pulled out a whole heap of it, and strewed it about
on the ground beside her. Now she had a servant who was
industrious, and gathered together the bits of flax which
were thrown away, cleaned them, span them fine, and had a
beautiful gown made out of them for herself. A young man
had wooed the lazy girl, and the wedding was to take place.
On the eve of the wedding, the industrious one was dancing
merrily about in her pretty dress, and the bride said,-
"Ah, how that girl does jump about, dressed in my odds and ends."
The bridegroom heard that, and asked the bride what she meant
by it? Then she told him that the girl was wearing a dress make
of the flax which she had thrown away. When the bridegroom
heard that, and saw how idle she was, and how industrious the
poor girl was, he gave her up and went to the other, and chose
her as his wife.
