The Old woman and Old Man's Daughters
Dragoieni kindergarten, Tg-Jiu
Prof. Andreea Cernea
Once upon a time there was
an old man and an old
woman and each of them
had one daughter. The old
woman’s daughter was ugly,
lazy and mean, while the
old man’s daughter was
beautiful, hardworking, and
obedient. Therefore the
latter one was persecuted
by the bad sister and her
step mother. All day long
she worked. She gathered
wood for fire, cooked and
took care of the livestock
but her step mother and
her daughter were not
content at all.
When the old man came home from his work, the old
woman told him all kind of bad things about his
daughter, that she was lazy ,naughty, good for
nothing and that it would be better to send her
away from home.
Although the Old man cared much
of his daughter, he couldn’t help
listening to his wife. One day he
called his daughter and said:
“My dear girl, I have no peace
with your mother because of you!
She says that you don’t listen to
her and that you don’t work, that
is why it would be better to go
away from home, so that we won’t
have arguments all the time.”
Poor girl, packed her things and
with tears in her eyes said
goodbye to her father and left.
She walked and walked and
suddenly a little dog, ill and weak
appeared. It was hardly moving.
Seeing the girl it said: “Have
mercy of me and give me
something to eat and take care of
me, please. Maybe someday I
could help you somehow”
The kind-hearted girl washed the
dog, fed it and went on her way
happy that she had done a good
deed.
As she was walking on, she met , on
the side of the road , an old , big
and blooming but full of caterpillars
pear tree. As soon as it saw the
girl it said:
“Beautiful girl, please, remove these
caterpillars from me, maybe
someday I could help you, too.”
The girl, immediately started
cleaning the pear tree, watered it
and then set off again.
Not far away, she met an old, untidy fountain. As soon as it saw the girl
it said:
“Dear beautiful and hardworking girl, please , take care of me, I might
help you, too, sometimes.
As she was not afraid of work, the girl started cleaning the fountain,
make it beautiful and then she continued her way.
After a while she came across an old oven. As soon as it saw the
girl it said:
“Dear hardworking girl, please, repair me, maybe one day I could
help you. The hardworking girl, fixed the oven then she went on
her way. She walked and waked and in the end she got lost. She
didn’t get scared but she kept on walking and she reached a forest
and in the middle of it a little sunny clearing and there was a tidy
little house.
When she got closer, a kind old woman
welcomed her and asked her what she was
doing there.
“I am looking for a master, I am a poor
girl, I was thrown away from home by my
step mother. I got lost and I am asking you
to house me and I can help you with the
housework in exchange”.
“Poor little girl! Said the old woman. You
arrived at the right place here. I am Saint
Sunday and I would like some help. Be
sure you won’t leave without being
rewarded.
“But I don’t know what to do” said the
girl.
“Look, I am going to the church now. As
long as I am there you have to feed my
babies, wash them, cook, so that when I am
back the food should be nor too hot or too
cold, just good to eat”.
As soon as the old woman left the
girl started working. She prepared
the water for the bath, and called
the babies. But surprise! The
“babies” were all kind of dragons
and scary beasts. But the girl didn’t
get scared, she said a prayer and
started washing them, then she fed
them. When Saint Sunday returned
from the church everything was
done excellent, that the old woman
was very happy.
As a reward she sent the girl in the
attic and told her to choose one of
the coffers there on condition she
didn’t open it until she got home.
Having good sense, the girl chose
the smallest one. Ten Saint Sunday
told her goodbye wishing a safe
journey back home and thanking for
help.
Coming back on the same way she left,
the girl met the oven full of good pie.
She ate some, put some in her bag and
then she left.
A little farther, the fountain she had
cleaned was waiting for her , with
fresh water. She drank a little and
then continued her way.
Then she came across the pear tree
she had taken care of , it was full of
ripe fruit. She took as many as she
wanted and then went on.
After that she met the dog she first
met. Now it was healthy and she was
carrying a golden necklace which she
gave to the girl as a reward for having
taken care of her.
Finally the girl arrived at home. The old man started crying when he saw the girl
back home. They opened the coffer together and out of it got many livestock that
the man grew younger of happiness. But the old woman was dying with envy.
Seeing these, her ugly girl told her she would leave to try her chances, too and
soon she left on the same way.
The Old Woman’s daughter met the ill dog, the pear tree full
of caterpillars, the dry and broken fountain and the broken
oven. But when she was asked to take care of them, the lazy
girl answered rudely and mocking:
“Yes, right! You don’t think that my mum kept me like a
princess not to dirty and scratch my hands! Look for
another servant!”-
Saying these, she continued her way, careless and
reached Saint Sunday’s house. The same work to
do as the Old Man’s daughter but she behaved as
usually, naughty and doing bungled work. When
she washed Saint Sunday’s kids she burnt them
with boiled water, the food was tasteless and also
burnt.
When Saint Sunday came
home and saw what had
happened she got angry.
Therefore she was
tolerant and told the girl
to choose a coffer from
the attic and go home.
The greedy girl, as we
know her, chose the
biggest and the newest
coffer and left without
thanking or saying good
bye.
On the way back, the oven intensified its flame so that the girl couldn’t
take pies fro it, the fountain drained, and she was very thirsty, the pear tree
raised its branches to the sky so that the girl couldn’t reach its fruit and
the little dog bit her as soon as she came near it to take the necklace.
The ugly girl was
dying with anger,
but she couldn’t
do anything. She
finally got home,
but opening the
coffer, out of it got
out many beasts
and wild animals.
These ones
jumped on the ugly
girl and the Old
Woman and
swallowed them at
once.
Then they left as if
the hadn’t been
there at all.
And the Old Man and his
daughter lived happily ever
after!
Characters :
RODICAThe old
man’s
daughter
ANDRAThe Old
Woman’s
daughter
ADIThe Old Man
ALEXANDRAThe Old Woman
Saint Sunday