and do it in a very short time."

"With all my heart," answered the girl, "only come in, and begin at
once."

Then she admitted the three strange women, and, making a clear space
in the first room, they sat themselves down and began spinning.

One drew the thread and trod the wheel, the other moistened the
thread, the third pressed it and beat it on the table, and every time
she did so, a pile of thread fell on the ground spun in the finest
way.

The maiden concealed the three spinners from the Queen, but showed
her the heaps of spun yarn whenever she came, and received no end of
praise for it.

When the first room was empty, the second was commenced, and when that
was finished, the third was begun, and very soon cleared.

Then the three spinners took their leave, saying to the maiden:

"Forget not what thou hast promised us; it will make thy fortune."

When the girl showed the Queen the empty rooms and the great piles of
thread, the wedding was announced. The bridegroom rejoiced that he had
won so clever and industrious a wife, and he praised her exceedingly.

"I have three aunts," said the maiden, "and as they have done me many
kindnesses, I could not forget them in my good fortune; permit me to
invite them to our wedding and allow them to sit with me at table."

So the Queen and the bridegroom consented.

When the feast commenced, the three old women entered, clothed in the
greatest splendor, and the bride said--

"Welcome, my dear aunts!"

"Alas!" exclaimed the bridegroom, "how is it you have such ugly
relations?" and going up to the one with a broad foot, he asked:

"Why have you such a broad foot?"

"From threading, from threading," she answered.

Then he went to the second, and asked:

"Why have you such an overhanging lip?"

"From moistening the thread," she replied, "from moistening the
thread."

Then he asked the third:

"Why have you such a big thumb?"

"From pressing the thread," answered she.

Then the Prince became frightened, and said:

"Then shall my lovely bride never more turn a spinning-wheel, as long
as she lives!"

Thus was the maiden freed from the hated flax-spinning.

* * * * *

THE CAT AND THE MOUSE IN PARTNERSHIP

A cat having made the acquaintance of a mouse, told her so much of the
great love and affection that he had for her, that the mouse at
last consented to live in the same house with him, and to have their
domest