River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-02-13
THE THREE SISTERS.

One night the Fates came to tell their
fortunes, and sat above their heads; for
each sister had her Fate.
When the first two had spoken, it was
the turn of the Fate who belonged to the
youngest sister.
''Mlne," she said, "being the prettiest,
shall have the best fortune. She
shall marry the kings sen"
But the eldest sister had awoke and
was listening. When the morning had
come she took the second sister on one
side and told her all that the Fates had
said and they began to tyrannize over
The youngest.
One day they resolved to go and cut
some wood. They therefore made cake
and set out. When they had gathered
their fagots they sat down on the edge of
a precipice, s. deep that no one can climb
down it on any side. The eldest sister
said to the youngest:
Now, little one, come and let me do
your hair"
The little one went, and the eldest be
gan to arrange her hair. But as she was
doing it she let the cake roll from her
knees on the ground.
There" she said, snow go and look
for it!H
And she gave her great push anal the
little one fell over the preciplce.
The poor child fell to the bottom, and
being unable to climb up again began to
weep. But then, behold, Nereld came
to her and said:
''Why are you weeping. child? Have
you fallen from the rock and cannot get
up again. Come with me and will take
you for nv daughter"
And she took her to her house.
So the little girl was very happy with
the Nereid, b4t when Sunday came the
Nereid wanted to go to her church; and,
as she would be a long time away, she
told her that she was to open the copper
an which the serpents were, and give
them something to eat.
you must not be afraid she added.
'When you want them to 60 in again you
nave only to rap with a stick on the pot,
and the serpents will go in of them
selves"
Meanwhile the two sisters, when they
got home again, said to the Sun:
Sun, dear SIM, which is now the fair
est one2 Is it one of us, or she whom WE
have thrown over the precipiceG"
1t is your sister" he replied, "who is
IN tue Nereid home"
Then the two sisters returned TO the
precipice; and the younger of the two
Lushed the elder SO that she fell in the
same place where the youngest had fallen.
When she was at the bottom she came to
the home Of the Nereid, went In, and
found her sister; and the little one kissed
her when she saw her.
Then the eldest one began to dress her
sisters hair again, and by and-by she
stuck poisoned pin in her head. The
poor little one fell down dead on the spot,
and the eldest one ran away.
When the Neried returned she found
che little one, and took her in her arms and
wept over her. Then she saw the pin
and pulled it out, and the little one came
10 life again.
Meanwhile thu eldest sister had gone
home; but when she repeated her qnes-
tion TO the Sun and received the same
answer she returned to the Nereid's house.
The Nereid was out again, but she had
forbidden the little one TO open the door
50 the eldest sister took slate off the roof
and threw in poisoned grape. The lit
tie one ate il and fell down dead again.
THIS time the Nereid could not lind
the cause of her death, so she put her in
q box and threw her into the sea. But
her fate did not desert her. The waves
shook the grape from her mouth and she
revived and the box Ioated until if came
to the Kings piece. Basllopoalo saw 1t
and told his servants 70 bring it to land;
but when he found that it was only box
he sent it down to the Kitchen.
In the night the little one was hungry;
ho 1,1 rot r,,E oto
food and Law bacl. in the box again. : his
she did every night, until the servants
found how the food disappeared, and went
and told the king son.
II see said BAsilopoulo. Every well, |
will go and catch the thief
So he went INTO the kitchen Mt mid
uight. and saw the little one come out,
and caught her in his arms. And the
kings son, seeing her SO pretty and SO
sweet, loved her and took her for his
wife
Then the two sisters SAID to the Sua:
sun, dear Sun, which is now the fair
est one Is il one of US or she whom we
poisoned
And the sun replied; at is your
sister, who has the kings son for her
husband
Meanwhile Basilopoulo had been
Obliged to go to war. and in his abseuse
the queen had son. One day poor
woman came to her and asked to be al
lowed to live in the palace aud nurse her
child. The queen did not recognize her
sister. and consented. Presently the sis
ter, whilst dressing the queens hair,
stuck an enchanted pin into her head,
and the queen was changeo nto little
bird Then the other took her garments
aud put herself in her place.
When Basilopoulo returned he found
his wife greatly changed and took a
strong dislike Il her. So he spent the
whole day in room apart, with his child.
one day a little bird flew into them and
fondled them both with its wings, and
then it began To sing
Sweet be the SUMMERS Of the king
Night bear his child on downy wing,
But let the gypsy woman lie
Full many an hour with Sleepless eye.
One day the false Qncen heard the
words and she said to Basilopoulo:
Are YOU not going to tell some one to
Kill this bird. which deatens us day atter
dayfH
Il shall never give YOU that pleasure, >
replied the King, "foT | while away my
time with thst bird
But the Queen pressed him every day
10 KILL it, and 10 the end, wearied out, he
let her have her way. She instantly
ordered her servants 10 seize the bird and
kill il, but they were 10 take care not to
let a single drop OF its blood fall to the
ground
The servants did not attend to her. and
"A drop of blood fell down. and from this
drop a tree OF great beauty grew up,
One day the King went into the garden,
and seeing this wonderful tree, sat down
under the shade OF its leaves. Then the
tree dropped down its long branches clos
ing them shout the King and the King
was so much delighted that he did not
move from it, and retur2ed every day to
sit there with lis son.
The Queen also took 1t sto her heal to
sit in the same place, but the tree, drop
pirr its branches, parted its leaves and
pricked her with its thorns.