Once upon a time there was a little girl whose mother and father died when she was very young.Then her godmother took her to live with her.The godmother lived in a small house at the very front of the village and supported herself by doing manual labor.
The godmother was kind-hearted and took care of the girl as if she were her own daughter.She taught the girl how to spin, weave, and sew.Under her tutelage, the girl grew up and became a hard-working, kind and understanding person.
When the girl was fifteen, her godmother suddenly fell ill.Her illness was so serious that she could hardly hold on.Before she died, the godmother took the girl’s hand and said, “Child, I have to go.This hut will be your home from now on, and it will shelter you from the wind and rain.”
Then she took out her spindle, bobbin and needle and said to the girl, “These tools are also left for you; you can use them to earn a living.”After saying this, she touched the girl’s head and said softly, “As long as you are honest and kind-hearted, good luck will always come to you.”
After saying these words, the godmother closed her eyes and left this world forever.The girl was very sad, and on the way to the funeral, she kept following the coffin and cried endlessly.
From then on, the girl lived alone in this hut and worked hard every day.She continued to spin, weave, and sew, and lived, though not rich, well.And strangely enough, she never ran out of linen thread, and every time she made a piece of cloth or a dress, someone would come to buy it right away, and the price was not low.
In this way, not only did she not starve herself, but she was also able to save some money to help the poor in the village.Everyone thought she was really lucky, but it was because she had always remembered her godmother’s words – be good and you will be rewarded naturally.
One day, the king’s son wanted to choose a princess in the whole country.He didn’t want a particularly rich girl, nor did he like a girl who was too ordinary.He said he wanted a girl who was both poor and wealthy.
The prince traveled to many places and finally came to this village.He inquired who was the poorest girl in the village and who was the most capable.The villagers told him that the poorest girl lived in the hut at the head of the village, and that the girl who was the most capable was also her.
At this time, a daughter of a rich man’s family in the village heard that the prince was coming, and dressed up and sat at the door waiting for him.When she saw the prince approaching, she stood up and made a curtsy, but the prince just looked at her and walked past without saying anything.
Then the prince came to the cottage where the girl lived.The girl was not standing at the door waiting like the others, but was in the house concentrating on spinning.The sun shone through the window into the house, and while she spun the thread with her hands and feet, she stole a glance out of the window.
When she realized that the prince was looking at her, her face instantly reddened and she hurriedly lowered her head to continue her work.But whether the thread spun this time was as even or not, it was hard to say.She kept spinning without stopping until the prince left.
As soon as the prince left, she ran to the window, opened it and said, “It’s so hot in the house!”In fact, she wanted to see if the prince had gone far away.She stared at the prince’s back until she couldn’t even see the feather in his hat anymore, and then she closed the window.
Returning to her seat, she began spinning again.At that moment, she suddenly remembered a song her godmother used to sing when she was a child, so she hummed it softly as well:
“Run quickly, little spinner, don’t stop.
Bring my beloved to me quickly!”
Unexpectedly, just after she finished the song, the spindle in her hand actually jumped up by itself and ran out of the hut quickly.The girl watched in amazement as it skipped and bounced all the way across the field, still dragging a glittering golden thread.
The spindle ran farther and farther away and finally disappeared into the distance.Without the spindle, the girl had to pick up her shuttle and start weaving.
Over there, the spindle ran all the way to the prince.When the prince saw a golden thread on the ground and a spindle leading the way, he thought it strange and said, “Is this showing me the way?”So he rode his horse and followed the golden thread back.
Over here, the girl was still weaving, and as she did so she sang another song:
“Run quickly, O little shuttle, and be ready to meet.
Bring my fiancé quickly!”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, the shuttle jumped out of her hand and ran to the door.When it reached the door, it began to weave a carpet, and made a very beautiful carpet.
This carpet had blooming roses and lilies on both sides, and a golden background with green vines in the center.Between the vines there were bouncing bunnies and poking deer and squirrels.There are colorful birds resting on the branches, which don’t sing but look especially realistic.
The shuttle went back and forth and soon the rug was woven.
When the girl ran out of shuttles, she picked up a needle and sewed again.As she sewed she sang again:
“Come and see, O little needle, he’ll be here in a minute.
Tidy up my hut!”
When she finished singing, the needle slipped out of her hand and began to run all over the house.It moved as fast as lightning.In a flash, the table and chairs were covered with new fabrics and the walls were covered with beautiful decorations.
The little needle had just finished organizing the room when the girl saw the feather on the prince’s hat through the window.It turned out that the prince had followed the golden thread back to the place.
The prince walked into the house, stepped on the beautiful carpet, and saw the girl standing in a gorgeously decorated cottage while wearing plain clothes.At that moment she was like a rose blooming in a bush, so beautiful and different.
The prince looked at her and said, “You are the girl who is the poorest, but also the most blessed.Come with me and be my princess.”
The girl didn’t say anything, but just gave her hand to the prince.The prince took her hand and kissed her, then took her on his horse and together they left the hamlet and went to the palace.
There they had a grand wedding and everyone came to congratulate them.
And as for those magic spindles, shuttles and needles?They were well kept in the treasury of the king’s palace and became precious souvenirs.
This story tells us that kindness and hard work will never be let down.Even if life is hard at the beginning, as long as you insist on being good and serious, you will one day have your own happiness.
The girl did not rely on money or appearance to win the prince’s heart, but used her own hands, hard work and sincerity to impress everyone.It also shows that true wealth is not how much money you have in your wallet, but how much kindness and strength you have in your heart.
I hope you enjoy this story and that it brings you a little warmth and encouragement.
