Every inch of the way she trod the path which her stepsister had trodden , and saw the things which she had seen ; but there the likeness ended . When the fence prayed her to do it no harm , she laughed rudely , and tore up some of the stakes so that she might get over the more easily ; when the oven offered her bread , she scattered the loaves onto the ground and stamped on them ; and after she had milked the cow , and drunk as much as she wanted , she threw the rest on the grass , and kicked the pail to bits , and never heard them say , as they looked after her : ` You shall not have done this to me for nothing ! ' Towards evening she reached the spot where the old woman was leaning against the gate-post , but she passed her by without a word . ` Have you no manners in your country ? ' asked the crone . ' I ca n't stop and talk ; I am in a hurry , ' answered the girl . ` It is getting late , and I have to find a place . ' ` Stop and comb my hair for a little , ' said the old woman , ` and I will help you to get a place . ' ` Comb your hair , indeed ! I have something better to do than that ! ' And slamming the gate in the crone 's face she went her way . And she never heard the words that followed her : ` You shall not have done this to me for nothing ! ' By-and-by the girl arrived at the farm , and she was engaged to look after the cows and sift the corn as her stepsister had been . But it was only when someone was watching her that she did her work ; at other times the cow-house was dirty , and the cows ill-fed and beaten , so that they kicked over the pail , and tried to butt her ; and everyone said they had never seen such thin cows or such poor milk . As for the cats , she chased them away , and ill-treated them , so that they had not even the spirit to chase the rats and mice , which nowadays ran about everywhere . And when the sparrows came to beg for some corn , they fared no better than the cows and the cats , for the girl threw her shoes at them , till they flew in a fright to the woods , and took shelter amongst the trees . Months passed in this manner , when , one day , the mistress called the girl to her . ` All that I have given you to do you have done ill , ' said she , ` yet will I give you another chance . For though you can not tend cows , or divide the grain from the chaff , there may be other things that you can do better . Therefore take this sieve to the well , and fill it with water , and see that you bring it back without spilling a drop . '
The girl took the sieve and carried it to the well as her sister had done ; but no little birds came to help her , and after dipping it XXXXX the well two or three times she brought it back empty . '
Towards at for in of than that to with without