was to go to the storehouse, and to
sift the corn through a sieve. While she was busy rubbing the corn she
heard a whirr of wings, and a flock of sparrows flew in at the window.

'We are hungry; give us some corn! give us some corn!' cried they; and
the girl answered:

'You poor little birds, of course you shall have some!' and scattered
a fine handful over the floor. When they had finished they flew on her
shoulders and flapped their wings by way of thanks.

Time went by, and no cows in the whole country-side were so fat and
well tended as hers, and no dairy had so much milk to show. The farmer's
wife was so well satisfied that she gave her higher wages, and treated
her like her own daughter. At length, one day, the girl was bidden by
her mistress to come into the kitchen, and when there, the old woman
said to her: 'I know you can tend cows and keep a diary; now let me see
what you can do besides. Take this sieve to the well, and fill it with
water, and bring it home to me without spilling one drop by the way.'

The girl's heart sank at this order; for how was it possible for her to
do her mistress's bidding? However, she was silent, and taking the sieve
went down to the well with it. Stopping over the side, she filled it
to the brim, but as soon as she lifted it the water all ran out of the
holes. Again and again she tried, but not a drop would remaining in the
sieve, and she was just turning away in despair when a flock of sparrows
flew down from the sky.

'Ashes! ashes!' they twittered; and the girl looked at them and said:

'Well, I can't be in a worse plight than I am already, so I will take
your advice.' And she ran back to the kitchen and filled her sieve with
ashes. Then once more she dipped the sieve into the well, and, behold,
this time not a drop of water disappeared!

'Here is the sieve, mistress,' cried the girl, going to the room where
the old woman was sitting.

'You are cleverer than I expected,' answered she; 'or else someone
helped you who is skilled in magic.' But the girl kept silence, and the
old woman asked her no more questions.

Many days passed during which the girl went about her work as usual, but
at length one day the old woman called her and said:

'I have something more for you to do. There are here two yarns, the one
white, the other black. What you must do is to wash them in the river
till the black one becomes white and the white black.' And the girl took
them to the river