There once was a widow that had two daughters. One, the youngest, was sweet, honest, beautiful, and kind, just like her father had been. The other, the eldest, was ugly, mean, and disagreeable, just like her mother. The eldest and the mother were so mean and nasty that it was close to impossible to live with them. While everyone else loved and adored the younger of the two, the widow despised and hated her, and loved and cherished the older one. She hated the younger one so much that she forced her to do all the cleaning, cooking, and other housework. One of the child’s chores was to draw water form a well, which was a far off form the house.

One day the child saw an old woman sitting by the well, and the woman started to beg her for a rink of water. The girl agreed without any doubts. She hailed the water out of the well and gave it to the woman.

Once the woman had drunk her fill, she smiled at the girl and told her, “You are not only very pretty, but also very kind. For this you deserve an award.” The old woman wasn’t an old woman at all but a fairy. “My gift to you is that every time you speak either a flower or jewel will drop out of your mouth.

When the girl came home she was scolded for her lateness. “I am sorry,” she replied, “I will try to be quicker next time.” As she said those words, flowers and jewels dropped out of her mouth.

The mother was astonished, “How did this happen! Why, you have flowers and jewels coming out of your mouth.” The girl explained he remarkable meeting with a fairy, spilling out jewels and roses for every word she said. As soon as the tale was told, the mother called for her eldest daughter.

“Look what is coming out of your sister’s mouth, my beloved. You too must go to the well and offer the old women a drink. Then you too will have the same gift.” The eldest objected, but the mother pressed on so hard that she had no choice but to go. With the family’s best silver tankard in hand the eldest went to the well.

She came to the well. A beautiful women dressed in divine cloths soon came up to her and asked for a drink. Of course this was the same fairy, only in a different form. “Why would I allow you to drink from this? This wasn’t brought here for you just to tell you.” The eldest sneered, “If you must though drink, but don’t expect m to hail the water for you.”

The fairy was outraged, “You little horrid, mix-breed, little twit, Have you no manners, no upbringing? For your rudeness I will give you punishment. My gift to you is that every time you speak a snake or toad will drop out of your mouth.”

When the mouth found out what had happened she blamed it all on her younger child, “How did this happen! Why you have toads and vipers coming out of your mouth. This must be you retched sister’s doing. She will pay for her bad deeds.” The mother ran to her younger child and started to beat her, and the child ran a fast as she could into the woods. There she lived, feeding on nut and berries.

Not long after the Prince, coming back from hunting meet her. Charmed by how pretty she was he stopped to talk to her. Seeing that for every word the girl said a flower of jewel come out of her mouth, he wanted to hear her story. By the end the Prince was so enchanted by her beauty, and by her kindness he had to take her as his wife. The wedding was stunning, and form that day forward the girl lived happily ever after.

As for the oldest daughter, she got so unbearable that her own mother kicked her out of the house. Since she could not find anyone that would take her in, she had to settle with her faith. She died unhappy, alone, and miserable.