. She said: "If I go home
now without the bucket, who knows what my mother will do to me?" So she
climbed down the well, and at the bottom found a narrow passage, with a
door. She knocked at the door. "Have you not found a cord and bucket?"
There was a saint there, who answered: "No, my child." She continued her
way and found another door. "Have you not found a cord and bucket?"
"No!" That was the devil there. He answered her angrily because she was
a good girl; he did not say: "My child." She knocked at another door.
"Have you not found a cord and bucket?" It was the Madonna who replied:
"Yes, my child. Listen. You could do me a pleasure to stay here while I
am away. I have my little son here, to whom you will give his soup; you
will sweep and put the house in order. When I come home I will give you
your bucket." The Madonna went away, and the good girl put the house in
order, gave the child his broth, swept the house; and while she was
sweeping, instead of finding dirt, she found coral and other beautiful
things. She saw that it was not dirt, and put it aside to give the
Madonna when she returned. When the Madonna came back, she asked: "Have
you done all I told you to do?" The good girl answered: "Yes, but I have
kept these things here; I found them on the ground; it is not dirt."
"Very well; keep them for yourself. Would you like a dress of calico, or
one of silk?" The girl answered: "No, no! a calico dress." Instead of
that, the Madonna gave her the silk one. "Do you wish a brass thimble,
or a silver one?" "Give me the brass one." "No, take the silver thimble.
Here is the bucket and your cord. When you reach the end of this
passage, look up in the air." The girl did so, and a beautiful star fell
on her brow.

She went home, and her mother ran to meet her to scold her for being
away so long; and was about to strike her, when she saw the star on her
brow, which shone so that it was beautiful to see, and said: "Where have
you been until now? Who put that thing on your forehead?" The girl
answered: "I don't know what there is there." Her mother tried to wash
it away, but instead of disappearing, it shone more beautiful than ever.
Then the girl told what had happened to her, and the other sister wished
to go there, too. She went, and did the same as her sister. She let the
bucket fall, climbed down, and knocked at the saint's door. "Have you
not found a cord and bucket?" "No, my child." She knocked at the next
door. "Hav