there was once on a time a maiden who was pretty, but idle and negligent. when she had to spin she was so out of temper that if there was a little knot in the flax, she at once pulled out a whole heap of it, and strewed it about on the ground beside her. now she had a servant who was industrious, and gathered together the bits of flax which were thrown away, cleaned them, span them fine, and had a beautiful gown made out of them for herself. a young man had wooed the lazy girl, and the wedding was to take place. on the eve of the wedding, the industrious one was dancing merrily about in her pretty dress, and the bride said,—