by Kassie Rong
There was once a
greedy woman who had three beautiful daughters, all of whom loved her very
much. But this woman was never contented with her life. She cared only for
herself and for money, which she never thought she had enough of. She worked as
a cloth seller in a village and would complain every day to her customers about
how much she hated her children for wasting all her money.
One day, a strange
lady walked into the cloth store and asked the greedy woman about her
daughters.
“Oh, I hate them all so
much!” she replied. “They are a hassle to take care of and cost so much to
feed.”
“Well then, let me take
some of them off your hands,” said the strange lady. “On the night of the next
full moon, bring one of your daughters to the field north of the village and
leave her there. I will pay you good money for her.”
*
And so, on the night
of the full moon, the greedy lady took her eldest daughter to the field north
of the village and told her to stay there no matter what. The daughter, ever
loyal to her mother, did as she was told.
The next morning, the
woman found five golden pieces at her door. Her other two daughters looked at
the money with curious eyes.
“Where is big sister?”
the littlest asked.
“I sold her to a
witch,” replied her mother. “We got five golden pieces for her, isn’t that
great?”
The daughters did not
answer.
*
The five golden pieces
bought the woman three lavish silk gowns, but as the next full moon approached,
she decided she would need more money.
She took her second
daughter to the field north of the village on the night of the full moon. This
one was much more reluctant than the first, but in the end agreed that her
mother new best and promised not to move.
The next morning, the
greedy woman found ten golden pieces at her door.
“Where is sister?” the
littlest one asked.
“I sold her to a
witch,” replied her mother. “We got ten golden pieces for her, isn’t that
great?”
The daughter did not
answer.
*
The ten golden pieces
bought the greedy woman five sparkling rings, but as the next full moon
approached, she decided she would need more money.
On the day before the
full moon, the woman told her last daughter, “Tomorrow you will come with me to
the field north of the village and you will stay there no matter what.”
But the littlest
daughter did not want to listen to her mother. After learning about the fates of
her sisters, she now knew what a horrible person her mother was. The littlest
daughter was smart. She knew what to do.
“Mother,” she said, “I
am only a little child. Both my sisters were grown up. They knew how to sing
and sew and clean and cook. I have not learnt any of that. The witch would have
no use for me. I would make you a mere half silver piece. But you mother, you
know so much. You are beautiful and talented and the witch would pay hundreds
of golden pieces for you. You are worth a lot more than I am.”
“You’re right!”
exclaimed the mother. “You are small and stupid and useless. But I? I am worth
a million shining jewels!
So on the night of the
full moon, the greedy woman went to the field north of the village, and did not
leave, no matter what.
*
The next morning, the
littlest daughter found a piece of coal at her door.
