-ray, fal-de-ray, de-ray, ray, ray!

She's blind, poor old dear, 'tis sad to see, alack!
Spin, spin away, Oh, and spin, spin away!
She's water in her legs and pains all down her back,
Fal-de-ray, fal-de-ray, de-ray, ray, ray!

--If 'tis but for a child, she's cried her poor eyes out,
Spin, spin away, Oh, and spin, spin away!
Then she shall never want of that there is no doubt,
Fal-de-ray, fal-de-ray, de-ray, ray, ray!

When toil and troubles tell and legs begin to ache,
Spin, spin away, Oh, and spin, spin away!
We'll dress her up in furs and drive her out in state,
Fal-de-ray, fal-de-ray, de-ray, ray, ray!

Now Granny spins once more for sheet and bolster long,
Spin, spin away, Oh, and spin, spin away!
For Ditte and the prince to lie and rest upon,
Fal-de-ray, fal-de-ray, de-ray, ray, ray!

When she had finished her song, there was stillness for a few
moments in the schoolroom.

"She thinks she's going to marry a prince," said one of the girls.

"And that she probably will!" answered the schoolmaster. "And then
Granny can have all she wants," he added, stroking her hair.

Without knowing it, Ditte at one stroke had won both the master's
and the other children's liking. She had sung to the whole class,
quite alone, which none of the others dared do. The schoolmaster
liked her for her fearlessness, and for some time shut his eyes
whenever she was late. But one day it was too much for him, and he
ordered her to stay in. Ditte began to cry.

"'Tis a shame," said the other girls, "she runs the whole way, and
she's whipped if she's late home. Her mother stands every day at the
corner of the house waiting for her--she's so strict."

"Then we'll have to get hold of your mother," said the schoolmaster.
"This can't go on!" Ditte escaped staying in, but was given a note
to take home.

This having no effect, the schoolmaster went with her home to speak
to her mother. But Soerine refused to take any responsibility. If the
child arrived late at school, it was simply because she loitered on
the way. Ditte listened to her in amazement; she could not make out
how her mother could look so undisturbed when telling such untruths.

Ditte, to help herself, now began acting a lie too. Each morning she
seized the opportunity of putting the little Swiss clock a quarter
of an hour forward. It worked quite well in the morning, so that she
was in time