Pretty, industrious stepdaughter, spinning until fingers br bled, bloodstained shuttle fell into the well, she jumped br in after, landed where bread were to be taken from an br oven, apples to be shaken from the tree, she did br everything happily br br ‘Mother Holle’ asked her to shake her bed well, making br feathers fly for snow on earth, she complied, going home, br she was covered by a golden rain; stepmother sent her br own idle daughter down the well to ‘Mother Holle’ also, br she refused to do anything br br When she left pitch fell over her, stuck fast for as long as br she lived – I read and blushed and blushed, I did not work br diligently in the office, did not study the Assessment Form br or the Work Agreement or edit a long, boring letter br thoroughly when I fell ill br br Just like the idle daughter I did not help to shake snow on br earth for the season’s proper course, hiding my feeling of br confusion, instead of admitting openly I could not carry out br instructions, tonight I am covered in pitch for br doing badly in my duties br br And I’m sad, I want to do my job – and I cannot, I shall never br attain the golden rain, however hard I try, inside I remain the br same, tired and fatigued, the best intentions come to naught br - what a terrible shame! br br br “Favourite Tales from Grimm and Andersen” br Orbis Publishing, London,1985 br “Mother Holle” by the Brothers Grimm p.