Once upon a time there lived a kind hearted girl. Now their father had no work, so the girl began to think of going to service.

So she packed up a bundle, said good-bye, and started to find a place; but no one in the town wanted a girl, so she went farther into the country. As she journeyed, she came upon an oven in which a lot of loaves were baking. Now as she passed, the loaves cried out with one voice:

“Little girl! Little girl! Take us out! Please take us out! We have been baking for seven years, and no one has come to take us out. Do take us out or we shall soon be burnt!”

Then, being a kind, obliging little girl, she stopped, put down her bundle, took out the bread, and went on her way saying:

“You will be more comfortable now.”

After a time she came to a cow lowing beside an empty bucket and the cow said to her:

“Little girl! Little girl! Milk me! Please milk me! Seven years have I been waiting, but no one has come to milk me!”

So the kind girl stopped, put down her bundle, milked the cow into the bucket, and went on her way saying:

“Now you will be more comfortable.”

By and by she came to an apple tree so laden with fruit that its branches were nigh to break, and the apple tree called to her:

“Little girl! Little girl! Please shake my branches. The fruit is so heavy I can’t stand straight!”

Then the kind girl stopped, put down her bundle, and shook the branches so that the apples fell off, and the tree could stand straight. Then she went on her way saying:

“You will be more comfortable now.”

So she journeyed on till she came to a house where an old woman lived. Now this woman wanted a servant-maid, and promised good wages. Therefore the girl agreed to stop with her and try how she liked service. She had to sweep the floor, keep the house clean and tidy, the fire bright and cheery. But there was one thing the woman said she must never do; and that was look up the chimney!

“If you do,” say the woman, “something will fall down on you, and you will come to a bad end.” Well! The girl swept, and dusted, and made up the fire; but never a penny of wages did she see. Now the girl wanted to go home as she did not like the old woman service that didn’t pay her.

But she did not like to go home penniless; so she stayed on, sweeping, and dusting, and doing her work, just as if she was pleased. Then one day, as she was sweeping up the hearth, down tumbled some soot, and, without remembering she was forbidden to look up the chimney, she looked up to see where the soot came from. And, lo and behold! A big bag of gold fell plump into her lap.

Now the woman happened to be out; so the girl thought it a fine opportunity to be off home.

So she kilted up her dress and started to run home; but she had only gone a little way when she heard the woman coming after her on her broomstick. Now the apple tree she had helped to stand straight happened to be quite close; so she ran to it and cried:

“Apple tree! Apple tree, hide me
So the old woman can’t find me,
For if she does she’ll pick my bones,
And bury me under the garden stones.”

Then the apple tree said, “Of course I will. You helped me to stand straight, and one good turn deserves another.”

So the apple tree hid her finely in its green branches; and when the woman flew past saying:

” O Tree of mine! O Tree of mine!
Have you seen my naughty little maid
With a willy willy wag and a great big bag,
She’s stolen my money—all I had?”

The apple tree answered:

“No, mother dear,
Not for seven year!”

So the woman flew on the wrong way, and the girl got down, thanked the tree politely, and started again. But just as she got to where the cow was standing beside the bucket, she heard the woman coming again, so she ran to the cow and cried: