a to task for
her cruel treatment of a stranger; but, instead of doing any good,
it only caused Larina to hate her sister all the more.

Some time afterwards the poor fisherman died. He had gone to the big
city down the river to sell his fish, and had been attacked with a
terrible sickness that was raging there.

The girls were now alone in the world.

Mangita carved pretty shells and earned enough to buy food, but,
though she begged Larina to try to help, her sister would only idle
away the time.

The terrible sickness now swept everywhere and poor Mangita, too,
fell ill. She asked Larina to nurse her, but the latter was jealous
of her and would do nothing to ease her pain. Mangita grew worse
and worse, but finally, when it seemed as if she would soon die,
the door opened and the old woman to whom she had been so kind came
into the room. She had a bag of seeds in her hand, and taking one
she gave it to Mangita, who soon showed signs of being better, but
was so weak that she could not give thanks.

The old woman then gave the bag to Larina and told her to give a seed
to her sister every hour until she returned. She then went away and
left the girls alone.

Larina watched her sister, but did not give her a single seed. Instead,
she hid them in her own long hair and paid no attention to Mangita's
moans of pain.

The poor girl's cries grew weaker and weaker, but not a seed would
her cruel sister give her. In fact, Larina was so jealous that she
wished her sister to die.

When at last the old woman returned, poor Mangita was at the point of
death. The visitor bent over the sick girl and then asked her sister
if she had given Mangita the seeds. Larina showed her the empty bag
and said she had given them as directed. The old woman searched the
house, but of course could not find the seeds. She then asked Larina
again if she had given them to Mangita. Again the cruel girl said
that she had done so.

Suddenly the room was filled with a blinding light, and when Larina
could see once more, in place of the old woman stood a beautiful
fairy holding the now well Mangita in her arms.

She pointed to Larina and said, "I am the poor woman who asked for
rice. I wished to know your hearts. You were cruel and Mangita was
kind, so she shall live with me in my island home in the lake. As for
you, because you tried to do evil to your good sister, you shall sit
at the bottom of the lake forever, combing out the seeds you have
h