` Now what do you say ? ' she asked proudly . ` Dirty creatures ! dirty creatures ! ' answered the daughter ; and the mother wrung her hands and wept , as she knew that all her plans had failed . At this moment the prince entered with his real wife . ` You both deserved death , ' he said , ` and if it were left to me , you should have it . But the princess has begged me to spare your lives , so you will be put into a ship and carried off to a desert island , where you will stay till you die . ' Then the ship was made ready and the wicked woman and her daughter were placed in it , and it sailed away , and no more was heard of them . But the prince and his wife lived together long and happily , and ruled their people well . The Foolish Weaver -LSB- Adapted from Thorpe 's Yule-Tide Stories . -RSB- Once a weaver , who was in want of work , took service with a certain farmer as a shepherd . The farmer , knowing that the man was very slow-witted , gave him most careful instructions as to everything that he was to do . Finally he said : ` If a wolf or any wild animal attempts to hurt the flock you should pick up a big stone like this ' -LRB- suiting the action to the word -RRB- ` and throw a few such at him , and he will be afraid and go away . ' The weaver said that he understood , and started with the flocks to the hillsides where they grazed all day . By chance in the afternoon a leopard appeared , and the weaver instantly ran home as fast as he could to get the stones which the farmer had shown him , to throw at the creature . When he came back all the flock were scattered or killed , and when the farmer heard the tale he beat him soundly . ` Were there no stones on the hillside that you should run back to get them , you senseless one ? ' he cried ; ` you are not fit to herd sheep . To-day you shall stay at home and mind my old mother who is sick , perhaps you will be able to drive flies off her face , if you ca n't drive beasts away from sheep ! '
So , the next day , the weaver was XXXXX at home to take care of the farmer 's old sick mother .
Thorpe Weaver Yule-Tide afternoon day hillsides left leopard people ship