Diamonds and Toads

**Diamonds and Toads** is a story told in the Adventures from the Book of Virtues episode Respect. It is based on the fairy tale of the same name.

## Plot

There once lived a mean, disagreeable, impolite old woman, who had two daughters. The older daughter was just as mean and disagreeable as her mother, while the younger daughter was good, kind, and sweet-tempered. One day, both the mother and the older daughter rudely ask the younger daughter to fetch them water from the stream, which the younger daughter politely complies to. While the younger daughter fills the pitcher with water, she is approached by an old woman who asks the younger daughter if she could have some water, which the younger daughter politely agrees to before letting the old woman drink from the pitcher. After the old woman finishes, she tells the younger daughter that for being so kind and respectful, she must give her a gift. The younger daughter tries to decline, only for the old woman to suddenly become surrounded by a flash of light, then a puff of smoke, revealing that the old woman was actually a fairy in disguise, which surprises the younger daughter. The fairy tells the younger daughter that for what she's done, she deserves it. The fairy's gift for the younger daughter is that for every word that the younger daughter says, either a flower or a jewel will fall from her lips, which surprises the younger daughter before she runs off while the fairy laughs before flying away.

After the younger daughter returns home with the water, the mother rudely greets her while stating she's afraid that the younger daughter had sold her pitcher. The younger daughter tells the mother not to worry, though as she says this, two diamonds, two flowers, and two pearls fall from her mouth and drop to the floor. When the mother and the older daughter see this, they become surprised while the mother praises the younger daughter as her "wonderful, darling, talented child". The younger daughter explains about her encounter with the old woman who turned into a fairy and cast the spell on her, all because she gave her water and was kind to her. As the younger daughter says this, two more flowers fall from her mouth and into her hands. The older daughter becomes ecstatic upon hearing this, because this makes them rich. The mother then lets the older daughter know that she must have this wonderful gift too, but the older daughter scoffs at the idea of going out to fetch water, which the mother confirms so that they can be twice as rich. The mother pours the water out of the pitcher then gives it to the older daughter while telling her to take the pitcher to the stream and to give the old woman a drink of water, and especially to be kind to the old woman, even if it kills the older daughter. While at the stream, the older daughter complains about her hands getting chapped, before she is approached by not an old woman, but rather a posh-looking woman who asks the older daughter if she could have some water. However, the older daughter rudely refuses to give the pitcher to the posh woman, before rudely asking her if she's see an old peasant woman.

The posh woman says that she hasn't, before the older daughter rudely asks the posh woman to stick her head in the stream if she's so thirsty, while the posh woman acknowledges how rude and disrespectful the older daughter is. The older daughter rudely says that she didn't come all this way to serve her. Because of that, the posh woman reveals her true appearance as the same fairy from before as she punishes the older daughter by also giving her a gift as well, but one that's slightly different than the one she gave the younger daughter. Because of that, the older daughter runs away, while the fairy laughs again before flying away again. Back home, the younger daughter giggles at what happened to the older daughter, while the mother demands for the older daughter to speak up, but the older daughter refuses. The mother then asks the older daughter if she saw the fairy, while trying to remove the older daughter's hands from her mouth, only to run into several barrels. The mother then asks the older daughter if she got her gift, which the older daughter uncertainly confirms. When the older daughter says this, a snake slithers out from her mouth and drops to the floor. The mother then nervously asks the older daughter if she isn't feeling well, which the older daughter tries to answer, before a frog jumps out from her mouth as well. The younger daughter jokingly tells the older daughter "Excuse you", which causes two more diamonds to fall out from her mouth. From that day to this, while the older daughter could not speak without a shower of snakes and toads, jewels and flowers fell from the lips of the younger daughter, because she was kind and respectful.

## Characters

* Younger Daughter
* Mother
* Older Daughter
* Fairy