THE GOLDEN SLIPPER. 145

her task so easily? The heifer must have got it done
for her, I know. But I'll put a stop to ail this, thou
daughter of the son of a dog,” said she. Then she
went to the old man and said: “ Father, kill and cut
to pieces this heifer of thine, for because of it thy
daughter does not a stroke of work. She drives the
heifer out to graze, and goes to sleep the whole day
and does nothing.”—“ Then [ll kill it!” said he—
But the old man’s daughter heard what he said, and
went into the garden and began to weep bitterly.
The heifer came to her and said: “Tell me, dear
httle maiden, wherefore dost thou weep ?”—“< Why
should I not weep,” she said, ‘when they want to
kill thee ?”—* Don’t grieve,” said the heifer, “it will
all come right. When they have killed me, ask thy
step-mother to give thee my entrails to wash, and in
them thou wilt find a grain of corn. Plant this grain
of corn, and out of it will grow up a willow-tree, and
whatever thou dost want, go to this willow-tree and
ask, and thou shalt have thy heart’s desire.”

Then her father slew the ox, and she went to her
step-mother and said: “ Prythee, let me have the
entrails of the heifer to wash !”—And her step-mother
answered: “As if I would let anybody else do such
work but thee!”—Then she went and washed them,
and sure enough she found the ovain of corn, planted

it by the porch, trod down the earth, and watered it
L