A man lived with his wife in a house in a distant village. Each had a daughter from a previous marriage. The wife loved her daughter and would bring her new clothes and never ask her to do anything. So she became very lazy, spending her day just admiring herself. As for the wife’s husband’s daughter, the wife treated her with great harshness.
The daughter would do everything in the house and never complain. She would do the same work many times without anyone watching her, and she felt compassion for her, but he was powerless to do anything. He became weak and sick, and said to his beloved daughter: My dear, I am sorry. I don’t have anything. The daughter said: No, father. Don’t be sorry. You loved me and raised me. Come now so I can raise you. I will work and earn money. It is a difficult time truly, but I will do it.
The wife heard all this and said: Oh, what an idea! I will send her to work for a rich family. She will earn money, and what she earns will be mine, and I will live with my daughter the life I have always dreamed of. She said to her daughter: You are wicked, your father will become very sick, and we have no money. When you don’t work for a rich family, they will dismiss you. As for your daughter, you tried, but she complains about the softness of her hands and feet. Work will make her beautiful, and your daughter isn’t like this beauty.
She decided in the morning to go out to search for a rich family. The father said to her: You don’t need to do that. She said: No, father. I will do it, otherwise we won’t get anything ever. Don’t worry at all. You taught me well, and I am sure I will be diligent in my work. In the morning, the daughter prepared to go out to search for work, and the wife didn’t give her food or clothes.
The daughter left, going from place to place, and she found nothing. The daughter went for days without success, but she didn’t lose hope. After a little while, the daughter passed by a dry tree, and it was completely dry. She said to it: Welcome. You are heading to a place. If you help me get rid of my dry branches, I will return beauty to you.
The daughter uprooted the dry tree and broke all the dry branches without stopping until she became clean and ready to grow anew. The tree thanked her, and the daughter continued her way until she passed by a dead stump. She called out to it and said: Oh daughter, if you make me alive again, I will return beauty to you one day. The daughter held the ax and began chopping and chopping until her hands became sore. The stump thanked her and the daughter continued her way until she passed by a dirty well. She called out to it and said: If you bring out the clear water and clean me, I will return beauty to you. The daughter brought out the clear water and cleaned the well well. The well thanked her, and the daughter continued her way until she heard a small, gentle sound. It was a dog, his hair long and dirty. He said to her: If you wash me and comb me in the river, I will return beauty to you.
She did that, and the dog became clean and happy. The daughter went to sleep in the river, and darkness came quickly. The daughter passed by a house in which seven gnomes lived. She said to the gnomes: I am sorry for the fatigue. The darkness has passed, but I am remaining. They said to her: Where were you? She said: I was searching for work. They said to her: Work for us. This house has seven floors. You must clean six floors of them every day, but remember, don’t go to the seventh.
She did that and cleaned the six floors every day, and she never looked at the seventh floor for a whole year. She earned money and wanted to return to her father. She said to the gnomes: We were safe with your trust and diligence with us. Come, let us appreciate you. They took her to the seventh floor which was full of treasures. They said to her: Roll over the treasures and whatever sticks to you is yours. She did that, gave the treasures to the gnomes, and left.
On her way back, she met the dog again, and he had become covered with pearls. He said to her: Approach and take what you want of the pearls. She rolled around his neck and feet, took what she wanted, and thanked the dog. She left until she met the well and said to him: Approach. You helped me before by drinking the water and quenching your thirst. She drank until she became full and thanked the well. She left until she met the stump and said to her: Give me the carrots and your food. She ate until she was full and took some for her father. She left until she met the stump she had dug for and said to her: Drink the small almond juice. She drank and thanked her. She left until she met the tree, and it had now become green and fruitful. She said to her: Greet me, how many fruits you have. The daughter ate fruits and took some for her father.
She returned to the house and was happy to see her father in good health waiting at the door. She hugged him and rejoiced. The wife came and was shocked to see her father in good health and her daughter’s condition, for she was covered in gold and silver and gems. Her stepdaughter became arrogant, walking arrogantly inside, and she realized that her wife wouldn’t give her anything. She called out to her daughter and sent her to go out to work for a rich family.
The daughter left, and after a little while, she passed by a tree completely dry and asked her to break her dry branches, but she refused. Then she passed by a dead stump and asked her to dig with the ax, but she refused. Then she passed by the well and asked her to clean it, but she said: I won’t soil my hands and feet no matter what happens. Then she passed by a dog and asked her to wash him in the river, but she refused. Then she arrived at the gnomes’ house and offered her work to clean the six floors for a whole year. She succeeded and cleaned the six floors daily, but after a while she began to slacken and entered the seventh floor.
She was dark and filled with gold and silver. There was dirt and poverty. They scolded her severely until she covered her ears and ran out of the house. On her way, she found the dog covered with pearls. She wanted to take some, but she got lost. After a little while, she found the well, and when she tried to drink from it, the water moved away from her. Then she met the stump and refused to give her food, and so did the tree. The mother was watching her, but the daughter was covered in ears, and her clothes were torn and dirty. The wife said to her: Didn’t the laziness benefit you at all, but diligence and the sincere dog didn’t remain for you any place here. So they left the house, and the father lived with his daughter in eternal happiness.