Today, I would like to share with you a very interesting and educational story – The Three Spinners.This is a classic fairy tale from the German Brothers Grimm.The story tells how a little girl who doesn’t like to work finally gets a happy life because of the help of others and her own trustworthy behavior.
This story not only has a vivid and fascinating plot, but also conveys a lot of truths that we should learn, such as “be grateful” and “always do what you promise others” and so on.Next, I will tell you the whole story in simple language and analyze the meaning behind it.
I. The Little Girl Who Didn’t Like to Work
Once upon a time, there was a little girl who hated nothing more than working.Especially spinning thread, she thought it was a particularly tiring and uninteresting thing to do.So every time her mother asked her to spin thread, she made all kinds of excuses to avoid it.
One day, she sat in a corner and cried because she didn’t want to spin.Her mom was angry when she saw this and started to scold her.
Just at this time, a queen happened to pass by their house.When she heard crying in the house, she walked in curiously and asked the mom, “Why are you scolding your daughter?”
The mom was too embarrassed to say directly that her daughter was lazy, so she lied and said, “Alas, I actually told her to stop spinning, but she insisted.But our family is so poor that we can’t afford to buy so much twine for her.”
The queen smiled and said, “In that case, why don’t you let your daughter come to the palace with me?I have a lot of flax thread there, and she can spin as much as she wants.”
The mother was delighted to hear this and immediately agreed.So the queen took the little girl back to the palace.
II. Three Great Warehouses Full of Flax Threads
After arriving at the palace, the queen took the girl upstairs and opened three large rooms.Each room was piled high with burlap, and it looked as much as a mountain.
The queen said to her, “From now on, you will spin all this linen into thread.When you have finished, I will let my son marry you.”
After saying this, the queen left.The girl stood alone in the doorway, looking at the three “mountains of linen” in front of her, and was very frightened.She thought to herself, “How can I finish spinning so much linen by myself?
As she sat by the window, she suddenly saw three strange women walking outside:
- The first woman had big feet;
- The first woman had big feet. The second woman had long lips that hung down to her chin;
- The first woman had big feet; the second had long lips that hung down to her chin; the third had thick fingers, especially her thumb, which was wider than the palm of her hand.
These three women went to the window, and when they saw the girl’s sad face, they asked her, “What’s the matter with you?Why are you so sad?”
The girl then told them her troubles.
After hearing this, the three women said, “If you don’t mind us working with you, we can help you finish spinning this twine.But you must promise us one thing: when you get married, you must invite us to the wedding, and let us sit and eat with you.”
The girl was so happy to hear this that she quickly nodded her head in agreement, “No problem!Thank you!”
So she made a place in the warehouse for the three women to stay.They worked hard every day, moving very fast and cooperating well.
Whenever the queen came to check on the progress, the girls would hide them ahead of time and take out the thread that had been spun to show the queen.
In this way, with the help of the three women, all the linen in the three warehouses was finally spun!
III. Honoring the Promise for a Happy Life
After the task was completed, the three spinning women were ready to leave.Before they left, they reminded the girl once again, “Don’t forget our promise, it’s a matter of your future happiness.”
Shortly afterward, the girl went to see the queen with the spun yarn.The queen was so pleased with the result that she decided to organize a big wedding for her and marry her to the prince.
The prince was also particularly happy, thinking he had married a hard-working and capable wife.
In the process of preparing for the wedding, the girl did not forget the promise she had made.She said to the queen and the prince, “I have several relatives who have been very kind to me, and I would like to invite them to my wedding, and I would like them to sit with us at the main table.”
The queen and the prince agreed readily.
On the day of the wedding, the three spinsters appeared at the banquet in their peculiar dresses.The bride greeted them warmly, saying, “Dear friends, welcome to my wedding!”
Halfway through the banquet, the prince noticed that the three guests looked a little different.He couldn’t help but walk over and ask questions.
He asked the first woman first, “Why are your feet so big?”
The woman smiled and replied, “Because I often step on the spinning wheel, that’s why my feet have gotten so big.”
Then he asked the second woman, “Why are your lips so long?”
The woman sighed and said, “Because I have to lick the twine every day, and they have become like this over time.”
Finally, he turned to the third woman and asked, “And why are your fingers so thick?”
The woman smiled and said, “Because I’ve been spinning the twine and have too much strength in my hands.”
The prince was shocked to hear this.He finally realized that the bride had not been spinning the thread herself at all, but had relied on the help of these three good people to get the job done.
He was touched and said, “From today on, I will never let my beautiful bride touch the spinning wheel again!”
From then on, the girl never had to work again and lived a happy life.
IV. What does this story tell us?
Although this story sounds like a fairy tale, it actually contains many very important values in real life:
1. Be thankful*
The girl didn’t start out as a hard worker, but she didn’t forget those who helped her.She was willing to return their kindness, and this kind of gratitude is something everyone should have.
2. **Promises must be kept **
The only request made by the three spinning girls was to be invited to a wedding.The girl did not go back on her word; she kept her promise in her own way.It was this honesty that won her the prince’s trust and love.
3. Don’t judge a book by its cover*
The three spinning women were kind and helpful despite their peculiar appearance.This story reminds us not to ostracize people just because they look different; what really matters is what’s inside them.
4. Kindness brings good luck*
The girl ended up with unexpected happiness because of her kind treatment of the people who helped her.This also shows that treating others kindly often brings good luck to you as well.
V. Why is this story suitable for telling to children?
This story is very suitable to tell to children for several reasons:
- The storyline is simple and easy to understand;
- The characters are vivid and easy for children to remember;
- The storyline is simple and easy to understand; the characters are vivid and easy for children to remember; the moral is profound and can guide children to form correct values;
- It is rich in imagination and fairy tale colors, which stimulates children’s interest.
Parents can discuss with their children “what is honesty”, “why do we need to thank others”, “what makes a good person” and so on through storytelling, so that children can learn how to be a good person in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.Let the children learn to do things in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.
VI. Conclusion
The Three Spinners is a fairy tale full of warmth and wisdom.It tells us that even if you are not the smartest or the most diligent person, as long as you have a grateful heart and are willing to keep your promises, you will surely be able to get your own happiness.
In this age of information explosion, we need this kind of story more than ever to remind us that true success and happiness depend not only on ability, but also on character and trust.
If you like this story, why don’t you tell it to the children around you or share it with more friends?Maybe, they can also gain some strength and inspiration from it.
