Prevod
Nekoč je živelo dekle, ki je bilo tako brezdelno in leno, da je ves dan samo posedalo na soncu. Ni hotelo peči, ni hotelo variti piva, ni hotelo presti in ni hotelo šivati. Nekega jutra je materi povsem pošla potrpežljivost in jo je pošteno natepla. Dekle je tako vpilo, da ga je bilo slišati celo na ulico.
Prav takrat se je mimo peljala kraljica tiste dežele in zaslišala vpitje. Hotela je izvedeti, kaj se je zgodilo, zato je ustavila kočijo in vstopila v hišo. Šla je skozi sobo za sobo in nazadnje prišla tja, kjer sta bili dekle in njena mati.
»Kaj pomeni ves ta hrup?« je vprašala. »Zakaj vaša hči tako vpije?« Mater je bilo sram priznati, kako leno hčer ima, zato je kraljici povedala nekaj, kar ni bilo res.
»Oh, vaše veličanstvo,« je vzkliknila, »to dekle mi povzroča same skrbi. Ves dan bi samo predla in ves denar sem že porabila za lan zanjo. Danes zjutraj me je prosila, naj ji ga kupim še več, a nimam več denarja. Zato je začela jokati, kakor ste slišali.«
Kraljica je bila silno presenečena. »Vaša hči mora biti izvrstna predica,« je rekla. »Pripeljati jo morate v palačo, kajti ničesar nimam rajši od predenja. Pripeljite jo jutri, in če je res tako čudovita predica, kakor domnevam, mi bo kakor lastna hči in moj najstarejši sin bo postal njen mož.«
Ko je dekle slišalo, da bo moralo v palačo prest, se je silno prestrašilo. V življenju ni spredlo niti ene niti in balo se je, da se bo kraljica razjezila in ga dala kaznovati, ko bo to izvedela. Vendar si ni upalo ničesar reči.
Naslednji dan sta z materjo odšli v palačo in kraljica ju je prijazno sprejela. Mater je poslala nazaj domov, hčer pa so odpeljali v stolp, kjer so bile tri velike sobe, vse polne lanu.
»Poglej,« je rekla kraljica. »Tukaj je dovolj lanu, da boš vsaj nekaj časa zadovoljna. Ko ga spredeš, se boš poročila z mojim sinom, potem pa boš dobila toliko lanu, kolikor ga boš hotela. Zdaj lahko začneš, jutri pa pridem pogledat, koliko si naredila.«
S temi besedami je kraljica odšla in za seboj zaprla vrata. Komaj je dekle ostalo samo, že je planilo v jok. Tudi če bi živelo sto let, ne bi moglo spresti vsega tega lanu. Sedelo je in jokalo in jokalo in jokalo.
Naslednje jutro se je kraljica vrnila pogledat, koliko je naredilo. Zelo se je začudila, ko je našla lan nedotaknjen, dekle pa je sedelo križem rok. »Kaj pa je to?« je vprašala. »Zakaj ne predeš?«
Dekle je začelo iskati izgovore. »Tako žalostna sem bila, ker sem se morala ločiti od matere, da nisem mogla drugega kakor sedeti in jokati.« »Vidim, da imaš nežno srce,« je rekla kraljica. »Toda jutri moraš začeti delati. Ko spet pridem, pričakujem, da boš spredla celo sobo lanu.«
Ko je odšla, je dekle spet začelo jokati. Ni vedelo, kaj bo z njim. Nenadoma so se vrata odprla in v sobo so smuknile tri grde starke. Prva je imela široko, razkrečeno stopalo. Drugi je ustnica visela vse do brade. Tretja je imela strašansko širok palec.
Dekle jih je gledalo s strahom in začudenjem. »Kdo ste?« je vprašalo. Tista z razkrečenim stopalom je odgovorila: »Tri predice smo. Vemo, zakaj jokaš, in prišle smo ti pomagat. Toda preden ti pomagamo, nam moraš nekaj obljubiti: ko se poročiš s princem, smemo priti na tvojo poročno gostijo, dovolila nam boš sedeti za svojo mizo in imenovala nas boš svoje tete.«
»Da, da, obljubim, obljubim!« je vzkliknilo dekle. Pripravljeno je bilo obljubiti karkoli, samo da bi mu pomagale. Tista z razkrečenim stopalom je takoj sedla h kolovratu ter začela presti in pritiskati na stopalko. Tista s povešeno ustnico je vlažila nit, starka s širokim palcem pa jo je stiskala in sukala. Delale so tako hitro, da je nit tekla kakor deroč potok. Še pred naslednjim večerom so spredle vso sobo lanu.
Ko je kraljica spet prišla, se je razveselila, da je toliko dela opravljenega. »Jutri,« je rekla, »boš začela v drugi sobi.« Naslednji dan so dekle odpeljali v drugo sobo, ki je bila večja od prve in prav tako polna lanu.
Komaj ga je kraljica zapustila, že so se vrata odrinila in v sobo so prišle tri starke. »Spomni se svoje obljube,« so rekle.
»Spomnim se je,« je odgovorilo dekle. Starke so nato zasedle svoja mesta in začele presti. Še pred naslednjim večerom so spredle ves lan, ki je bil v sobi.
Ko je kraljica prišla pogledat, kaj je bilo narejeno, jo je prevzelo začudenje. Ne le da je bil spreden ves lan v sobi, tudi tako gladkih in enakomernih niti še nikoli ni videla.
»Jutri,« je rekla, »boš spredla lan v tretji sobi, pojutrišnjem pa se boš poročila z mojim sinom.« Tretji dan se je vse zgodilo prav tako kakor prej. Dekle so odpeljali v tretjo sobo, ki je bila še večja od prejšnjih dveh. Komaj je ostalo samo, so tri starke odprle vrata in vstopile.
»Spomni se svoje obljube,« so rekle. »Spomnila se je bom,« je odgovorilo dekle. Starke so zasedle svoja mesta in še pred nočjo je bil ves lan spreden. Nato so vstale. »Jutri bo tvoj poročni dan in prišle bomo na gostijo. Če boš držala besedo, bo zate vse dobro, če pa nanjo pozabiš, te bo zagotovo zadela nesreča.« Nato so izginile skozi vrata, kakor so prišle, najstarejša prva.
Ko je kraljica tisti večer prišla, je bila še bolj navdušena kakor prej. Še nikoli ni videla tako gladke in enakomerne niti. Dekle so odpeljali iz stolpa ter ga oblekli v svilo in žamet in okrasili z dragulji. Tako opravljeno je bilo tako lepo, da je princa ob pogledu nanj preplavilo veselje in se je vanj zaljubil. Naslednji dan sta se poročila in pripravili so veličastno gostijo. Nanjo so povabili vse najimenitnejše ljudi v deželi.
Nevesta je sedela ob svojem možu in on ni mogel gledati nikogar drugega, tako lepa je bila. Ravno ko naj bi se gostija začela, so se vrata odprla in vstopile so tri starke, ki so spredle lan.
Princ jih je začudeno pogledal. Še nikoli ni videl tako strašnih, grdih bitij. »Kdo so te ženske?« je vprašal dekle. »To so moje tri stare tete,« je rekla, »in obljubila sem jim, da bodo sedele z nama za mizo, saj so bile do mene tako dobre, da nihče ne bi mogel biti boljši.«
Dekle je nato vstalo in šlo starkam naproti. »Dobrodošle, moje tete,« je reklo in jih odpeljalo k mizi. Princ je dekle tako ljubil, da se mu je zdelo prav vse, kar je storilo. Ukazal je, naj pripravijo prostor za starke, in sedle so za mizo z njim in njegovo nevesto.
A bile so tako grde, da princ ni mogel odtrgati oči od njih. Nazadnje je rekel najstarejši: »Oprostite mi, dobra mati, toda zakaj imate tako široko stopalo?«
»Od pritiskanja na stopalko pri predenju, moj sin, od pritiskanja na stopalko,« je odgovorila. Princ se je začudil in se obrnil k drugi starki. »In vi, dobra mati,« je rekel, »zakaj vam ustnica tako visi?«
»Od vlaženja niti,« je odgovorila. »Od vlaženja niti.« Princ se je prestrašil. Ogovoril je tretjo starko. »In vi, zakaj imate tako širok palec, če smem vprašati?«
»Od stiskanja in sukanja,« je odgovorila. »Od stiskanja in sukanja.« Princ je prebledel. »Če predenje človeku napravi kaj takega,« je rekel, »se moja nevesta nikoli več ne bo dotaknila lanu.«
In tako je tudi bilo. Dekletu nikoli več niso dovolili niti pogledati kolovrata, kar ga, kot si lahko mislite, ni prav nič motilo. Starke pa so izginile, brž ko se je gostija končala, in nihče jih ni nikoli več videl. Nevesta je srečno živela do konca svojih dni.
Izvirnik
There was once a girl who was so idle and lazy that she would do nothing but sit in the sunshine all day. She would not bake, she would not brew, she would not spin, she would not sew. One morning her mother lost patience with her entirely, and gave her a good beating. The girl cried out until she could be heard even into the street.
Now it so chanced the queen of the country was driving by at that time, and she heard the cries. She wished to find out what the trouble was, so she stopped her coach and entered the house. She went through one room after another, and presently she came to where the girl and her mother were.
“What is all this noise?” she asked. “Why is your daughter crying out?”
The mother was ashamed to confess what a lazy girl she had for a daughter, so she told the queen what was not true.
“Oh, your majesty,” cried she, “this girl is the worry of my life. She will do nothing but spin all day, and I have spent all my money buying flax for her. This morning she asked me for more, but I have no money left to buy it. It was because of that she began to cry, as you heard.”
The Queen was very much surprised. “This girl of yours must be a very fine spinner,” she said. “You must bring her to the palace, for there is nothing I love better than spinning. Bring her to-morrow, and if she is as wonderful a spinner as I suspect, she shall be to me as my own daughter, and shall have my eldest son as a husband.”
When the girl heard she was to go to the palace and spin she was terrified. She had never spun a thread in her life, and she feared that when the Queen found this out she would be angry and would have her punished. However, she dared say nothing.
The next day she and her mother went to the palace, and the Queen received them kindly. The mother was sent home again, but the daughter was taken to a tower where there were three great rooms all filled with flax.
“See,” said the Queen. “Here is enough flax to satisfy you for awhile at least. When you have spun this you shall marry my son, and after that you shall have all the flax you want. Now you may begin, and to-morrow I will come to see how much you have done.”
So saying the Queen went away, closing the door behind her.
No sooner was the girl alone than she burst into tears. Not if she lived a hundred years could she spin all that flax. She sat and cried and cried and cried.
The next morning the Queen came back to see how much she had done. She was very much surprised to find the flax untouched, and the girl sitting there with idle hands. “How is this?” she asked. “Why are you not at your spinning?”
The girl began to make excuses. “I was so sad at being parted from my mother that I could do nothing but sit and weep.”
“I see you have a tender heart,” said the Queen. “But to-morrow you must begin to work. When I come again I shall expect to see a whole roomful done.”
After she had gone the girl began to weep again. She did not know what was to become of her.
Suddenly the door opened, and three ugly old women slipped into the room. The first had a splayfoot. The second had a lip that hung down on her chin. The third had a hideous broad thumb.
The girl looked at them with fear and wonder. “Who are you?” she asked.
The one with the splayfoot answered. “We are three spinners. We know why you are weeping, and we have come to help you, but before we help you, you must promise us one thing: that is that when you are married to the Prince, we may come to your wedding feast, that you will let us sit at your table, and that you will call us your aunts.”
“Yes, yes; I will, I will,” cried the girl. She was ready to promise anything if they would only help her.
At once the splayfoot sat down at the wheel, and began to spin and tread. She with the hanging lip moistened the thread, and the woman with the broad thumb pressed and twisted it. They worked so fast that the thread flowed on like a swift stream. Before the next evening they had finished the whole roomful of flax.
When the Queen came again she was delighted to find so much done. “To-morrow,” said she, “you shall begin in the second room.”
The next day the girl was taken into the second room, and it was larger than the first and was also full of flax.
Scarcely had the Queen left her when the door was pushed open, and the three old women came into the room.
“Remember your promise,” said they.
“I remember,” answered the girl.
The old women then took their places and began to spin. Before the next evening they had finished all the flax that was in the room.
When the Queen came to look at what had been done, she was filled with wonder. Not only had all the flax in the room been spun, but she had never seen such smooth and even threads.
“To-morrow,” said she, “you shall spin the flax that is in the third room, and the day after you shall be married to my son.”
The third day all happened just as it had before. The girl was taken to the third room and it was even larger than the others. Scarcely had she been left alone when the three old women opened the door and came in.
“Remember your promise,” said they.
“I will remember,” answered the girl.
The old women took their places, and before night all the flax was spun. Then they rose. “To-morrow will be your wedding day, and we will be at the feast. If you keep your word to us, all will go well with you, but if you forget it, misfortune will surely come upon you.” Then they disappeared through the door as they had come, the eldest first.
When the Queen came that evening she was even more delighted than before. Never had she seen such thread, so smooth it was and even.
The girl was led down from the tower and dressed in silks and velvets and jewels, and when thus dressed she was so beautiful that the Prince was filled with love and joy at the sight of her. The next day they were married, and a grand feast was spread. To this feast all the noblest in the land were invited.
The bride sat beside her husband, and he could look at no one else, she was so beautiful.
Just as the feast was about to begin the door opened and the three old women who had spun the flax came in.
The Prince looked at them wonderingly. Never had he seen such hideous, ugly creatures before. “Who are these?” he asked of the girl.
“These,” said she, “are my three old aunts, and I have promised they shall sit at the table with us, for they have been so kind to me that no one could be kinder.”
The girl then rose, and went to meet the old women. “Welcome, my aunts,” she said, and led them to the table. The Prince loved the girl so dearly that all she did seemed right to him. He commanded that places should be put for the old women, and they sat at the table with him and his bride.
They were so hideous, however, that the Prince could not keep his eyes off them. At length he said to the eldest, “Forgive me, good mother, but why is your foot so broad?”
“From treading the thread, my son, from treading the thread,” she answered.
The Prince wondered; he turned to the second old woman. “And you, good mother,” he said, “why does your lip hang down?”
“From wetting the thread,” she answered. “From wetting the thread.”
The Prince was frightened. He spoke to the third old woman. “And you, why is your thumb so broad, if I may ask it?”
“From pressing and twisting,” she answered. “From pressing and twisting.”
The Prince turned pale. “If this is what comes of spinning,” said he, “never shall my bride touch the flax again.”
And so it was. Never was the girl allowed even to look at a spinning wheel again; and that did not trouble her, as you may guess.
As for the old women, they disappeared as soon as the feast was over, and no one saw them again, but the bride lived happy forever after.
