But the wife answered : ` If your daughter is wet already , it is all the more reason that she should go and get the axe . Besides , she is a great strong girl , and a little rain will not hurt her , while my daughter would be sure to catch a bad cold . ' By long experience the man knew there was no good saying any more , and with a sigh he told the poor girl she must return to the forest for the axe . The walk took some time , for it was very dark , and her shoes often stuck in the mud , but she was brave as well as beautiful and never thought of turning back merely because the path was both difficult and unpleasant . At last , with her dress torn by brambles that she could not see , and her fact scratched by the twigs on the trees , she reached the spot where she and her father had been cutting in the morning , and found the axe in the place he had left it . To her surprise , three little doves were sitting on the handle , all of them looking very sad . ` You poor little things , ' said the girl , stroking them . ` Why do you sit there and get wet ? Go and fly home to your nest , it will be much warmer than this ; but first eat this bread , which I saved from my dinner , and perhaps you will feel happier . It is my father 's axe you are sitting on , and I must take it back as fast as I can , or I shall get a terrible scolding from my stepmother . ' She then crumbled the bread on the ground , and was pleased to see the doves flutter quite cheerfully towards it . ` Good-bye , ' she said , picking up the axe , and went her way homewards . By the time they had finished all the crumbs the doves felt must better , and were able to fly back to their nest in the top of a tree . ` That is a good girl , ' said one ; ' I really was too weak to stretch out a wing before she came . I should like to do something to show how grateful I am . ' ` Well , let us give her a wreath of flowers that will never fade as long as she wears it , ' cried another . ` And let the tiniest singing birds in the world sit amongst the flowers , ' rejoined the third . ` Yes , that will do beautifully , ' said the first . And when the girl stepped into her cottage a wreath of rosebuds was on her head , and a crowd of little birds were singing unseen . The father , who was sitting by the fire , thought that , in spite of her muddy clothes , he had never seen his daughter looking so lovely ; but the stepmother and the other girl grew wild with envy .
` How absurd to walk about on such a pouring night , dressed up like that , ' she remarked crossly , and roughly pulled off the wreath as she spoke , to place it XXXXX her own daughter .
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