read called out to her as she
passed:

'Oh! take me out, take me out, or I shall be burnt to a cinder. I am
quite done enough.'

So she stepped up quickly to the oven and took out all the loaves one
after the other. Then she went on a little farther and came to a tree
laden with beautiful rosy-cheeked apples, and as she passed by it called
out:

'Oh I shake me, shake me, my apples are all quite ripe.'

She did as she was asked, and shook the tree till the apples fell like
rain and none were left hanging. When she had gathered them all up into
a heap she went on her way again, and came at length to a little house,
at the door of which sat an old woman. The old dame had such large teeth
that the girl felt frightened and wanted to run away, but the old woman
called after her:

'What are you afraid of, dear child? Stay with me and be my little maid,
and if you do your work well I will reward you handsomely; but you must
be very careful how you make my bed--you must shake it well till the
feathers fly; then people in the world below say it snows, for I am
Mother Holle.'

She spoke so kindly that the girl took heart and agreed readily to enter
her service. She did her best to please the old woman, and shook her bed
with such a will that the feathers flew about like snow-flakes; so she
led a very easy life, was never scolded, and lived on the fat of the
land. But after she had been some time with Mother Holle she grew sad
and depressed, and at first she hardly knew herself what was the matter.
At last she discovered that she was homesick, so she went to Mother
Holle and said:

'I know I am a thousand times better off here than I ever was in my life
before, but notwithstanding, I have a great longing to go home, in spite
of all your kindness to me. I can remain with you no longer, but must
return to my own people.'

'Your desire to go home pleases me,' said Mother Holle, 'and because
you have served me so faithfully, I will show you the way back into the
world myself.'

So she took her by the hand and led her to an open door, and as the girl
passed through it there fell a heavy shower of gold all over her, till
she was covered with it from top to toe.

'That's a reward for being such a good little maid,' said Mother Holle,
and she gave her the spindle too that had fallen into the well. Then she
shut the door, and the girl found herself back in the world again, not
far from her own house; and when she came to the c