a poor wood-cutter lived with his wife and three daughters in
a little hut on the edge of a lonely forest. one morning as he
was about to go to his work, he said to his wife, "let my dinner
be brought into the forest to me by my eldest daughter, or i shall
never get my work done, and in order that she may not miss her
way," he added, "i will take a bag of millet with me and strew
the seeds on the path." when, therefore, the sun was just above
the center of the forest, the girl set out on her way with a bowl of
soup, but the field-sparrows, and wood-sparrows, larks and finches,
blackbirds and siskins had picked up the millet long before, and the
girl could not find the track. then trusting to chance, she went on
and on, until the sun sank and night began to fall. the trees rustled
in the darkness, the owls hooted, and she began to be afraid. then
in the distance she perceived a light which glimmered between the
trees. "there ought to be some people living there, who can take
me in for the night," thought she, and went up to the light. it was
not long before she came to a house the windows of which were all
lighted up. she knocked, and a rough voice from inside cried, "come
in." the girl stepped into the dark entrance, and knocked at the door
of the room. "just come in," cried the voice, and when she opened the
door, an old gray-haired man was sitting at the table, supporting his face
with both hands, and his white beard fell down over the table almost
as far as the ground. by the stove lay three animals, a hen, a cock, and
a brindled cow. the girl told her story to the old man, and begged for
shelter for the night. the man said,
