Weekend reading (15)

Bella woke the next and as always helped Bret clean the house. Before they did the shopping she called Mr. Heart.

"Have you decided Bella?" He asked.

"Yes, I'll take the job and start Monday. Text me the address please." She said.

"Ok see you Monday at 8." he then sent her the address.

Bret took her to quit her 3 jobs then they went shopping for the week.

She was glad and that night she went to the hospital to help with Bingo. This is what truly made her happy.

Then once she got home she could finish her story.

◇◇◇♡♡♡◇◇◇ THE GOOSE-GIRL cont:

But the old king told him to go out again as usual the next day: and when morning came, he placed himself behind the dark gate, and heard how the princess spoke, and how Falada answered; and then he went into the field and hid himself in a bush by the meadow's side, and soon saw with his own eyes how they drove the flock of geese, and how, after a little time, she let down her hair that glittered in the sun; and then he heard her say--

"Blow, breezes, blow! Let Curdken's hat go! Blow breezes, blow! Let him after it go! O'er hills, dales, and rocks, Away be it whirl'd, Till the golden locks Are all comb'd and curl'd!"

And soon came a gale of wind, and carried away Curdken's hat, while the girl went on combing and curling her hair. All this the old king saw; so he went home without being seen; and when the goose-girl came back in the evening, he called her aside, and asked her why she did so; but she burst into tears, and said, "That I must not tell you or any man, or I shall lose my life."

But the old king begged so hard that she had no peace till she had told him all, word for word: and it was very lucky for her that she did so, for the king ordered royal clothes to be put upon her, and he gazed with wonder, she was so beautiful.

Then he called his son, and told him that he had only the false bride, for that she was merely a waiting-maid, while the true one stood by. And the young king rejoiced when he saw her beauty, and heard how meek and patient she had been; and without saying anything, he ordered a great feast to be prepared for all his court.

The bridegroom sat at the top, with the false princess on one side, and the true one on the other; but nobody knew her, for she was quite dazzling to their eyes, and was not at all like the little goose-girl, now that she had on her brilliant dress.

When they had eaten and drunk, and were very merry, the old king told all the story, as one that he had once heard of, and asked the true waiting-maid what she thought ought to be done to anyone who would behave thus.

"Nothing better," said this false bride, "than that she should be thrown into a cask stuck around with sharp nails, and that two white horses should be put to it, and should drag it from street to street till she is dead."

"Thou art she!" said the old king; "and since thou hast judged thyself, it shall be so done to thee."

Then the young king was married to his true wife, and they reigned over the kingdom in peace and happiness all their lives.

◇◇◇♡♡♡◇◇◇

Sunday Bella went to the kennels to play with the animals and help give them all a bath. Then headed to the park to feed the ducks. Once again she started a new story.

◇◇◇♡♡♡◇◇◇THE LITTLE BROTHER AND SISTER

There was once a little brother who took his Sister by the hand, and said, "Since our own dear mother's death we have not had one happy hour; our stepmother beats us every day, and, when we come near her, kicks us away with her foot. Come, let us wander forth into the wide world."

So all day long they travelled over meadows, fields, and stony roads. By the evening they came into a large forest, and laid themselves down in a hollow tree, and went to sleep.

When they awoke the next morning, the sun had already risen high in the heavens, and its beams made the tree so hot that the little boy said to his sister, "I am so very thirsty, that if I knew where there was a brook, I would go and drink. Ah! I think I hear one running;" and so saying, he got up, and taking his Sister's hand they went to look for the brook.

The wicked stepmother, however, was a witch, and had witnessed the departure of the two children: so, sneaking after them secretly, as is the habit of witches, she had enchanted all the springs in the forest.

Presently they found a brook, which ran trippingly over the pebbles, and the Brother would have drunk out of it, but the Sister heard how it said as it ran along, "Who drinks of me will become a tiger!"

So the Sister exclaimed, "I pray you, Brother, drink not, or you will become a tiger, and tear me to pieces!"

So the Brother did not drink, although his thirst was very great, and he said, "I will wait till the next brook."

As they came to the second, the Sister heard it say, "Who drinks of me becomes a wolf!"

The Sister ran up crying, "Brother, do not, pray do not drink, or you will become a wolf and eat me up!"

Then the Brother did not drink, saying, "I will wait until we come to the next spring, but then I must drink, you may say what you will; my thirst is much too great."

Just as they reached the third brook, the Sister heard the voice saying, "Who drinks of me will become a fawn--who drinks of me will become a fawn!"

So the Sister said, "Oh, my Brother do not drink, or you will be changed into a fawn, and run away from me!"

But he had already kneeled down, and he drank of the water, and, as the first drops passed his lips, his shape took that of a fawn.