6 Toads and Diamonds (France)

There was once upon a time a widow who had two daughters. The elder was so much like her in face and humor that whosoever looked upon the daughter saw the mother.They were both disagreeable and proud. The younger, who was the very picture of her father for courtesy and sweetness of temper, was withal one of the most beautiful girls ever seen. As people naturally love their own likeness, this mother doted on her elder daughter, and at the same time had a horrible aversion for the younger.

Among the other things, this poor child was forced twice a day to draw water above a mile and a half from the house and bring home a pitcher full of it. One day, as she was at this fountain, there came to her a poor woman, who begged of her to let her drink. She, immediately rinsing the pitcher,took up some water from the clearest place of the fountain,and gave it to her. The good woman having drunk, said to her, “You are so very pretty, my dear, so good and so mannerly, I cannot help giving you a gift.”For this was a fairy. The fairy continued, “At every word you speak, there shall come out of your mouth either a flower or a jewel.”

When this pretty girl came home her mother scolded her for staying so long at the fountain. “I beg your pardon,mamma,”said the poor girl, “for not making more haste.”And in speaking these words out of her mouth there came two roses, two pearls and two diamonds.

“What is it I see there?”said her mother, astonished.“How happens this, child?”The poor girl told her frankly all that had happened, not without dropping infinite numbers of diamonds.

“In good faith,”cried the mother, “I must send my elder child thither.”Then she said to her elder daughter, “you have nothing to do but draw water out of the fountain, and when a certain poor woman asks you to let her drink, to give it her very civilly.”

“It would be a very fine sight indeed,”said this ill-bred minx, “to see me draw water.”“You shall go, hussy,”said the mother, “and this minute.”

So she went, but grumbling all the way, taking with her the best silver tankard in the house. She was no sooner at the fountain than she saw coming out of the wood a lady most gloriously dressed, who came up to her and asked to drink. This was the very fairy who appeared to her sister, but had now taken the air and dress of a princess. “Am I come hither,”said the proud,saucy girl, “to serve you with water, pray? I suppose the silver tankard was brought for your ladyship? However, you may drink out of it, if you have a fancy.”So the fairy gave her for gift that at every word she spoke there should come out of her mouth a snake or a toad.

So soon as her mother saw her coming she cried out,“Well, daughter?”“Well, mother?”answered the pert hussy,throwing out of her mouth two vipers and two toads.

“Oh, mercy!”cried the mother. “Oh, it is that wretch your sister who has occasioned all this, but she shall pay for it.”And immediately she ran to beat her. The poor child fled away from her and went to hide herself in the forest, not far thence.

The king’s son, then on his return from hunting, met her, and seeing her so pretty, asked what she did there alone and why she cried. “Alas, sir, my mother has turned me out of doors.”The king’s son, who saw five or six pearls and as many diamonds come out of her mouth, desired her to tell him how that happened. She thereupon told him the whole story. The king’s son fell in love with her, and considering with himself that such a gift was worth more than any marriage portion, conducted her to the palace of the king his father, and there married her.

As for the proud elder sister, she soon made herself so much hated that her own mother turned her off.

—Charles Perrault