Mother Hulda

Author: A Brothers Grimm Tale · Retold as a Fable by DozyStories

  • Age3–7
  • Reading time10 min
  • LevelBeginner

Introduction

Mother Hulda belongs to a story family that folklorists call 'the kind and the unkind girls.' Two girls walk the same road and hear the same pleas, yet one earns a fortune while the other is covered in shame. The tale works so well as a fable because its shape is already fable-shaped: flat characters, one clear test after another, and an ending that points a moral without preaching. Chinese readers will hear echoes of familiar folk wisdom. The old 'money tree' (摇钱树) promises wealth to the industrious and nothing to the idle, and the proverb 'fine on the outside, rotten within' (金玉其外，败絮其中) fits the lazy sister neatly — she dreams of treasure but will not lift a finger to earn it. The Brothers Grimm wrote down this story in central Germany, where country people said that snow fell whenever Mother Hulda shook out her feather bed. But the real magic lies closer to home: every plea on the road is a small choice, and small choices slowly add up to a destiny. When you read with your child, pause at each plea and let the child guess what the girl should do before you turn the page. Then ask: does a person's habit of helping — or refusing — show up even when nobody is watching? The story answers gently, and children usually see the answer before we do.

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Mother Hulda - A hard-working girl spins by the well day after day, and when her bloody spindle sinks, she is forced to jump in after it. - Scene Illustration 1
A hard-working girl spins by the well day after day, and when her bloody spindle sinks, she is forced to jump in after it.
Long ago, a widow had two daughters. The first was pretty and hard-working. The second was plain and lazy. The widow loved the lazy one best, because she was her own child. So the pretty girl did all the chores. Every day she sat by the well and spun thread, until her fingers were sore and bleeding.
One day her spindle was stained with blood, so she dipped it into the well to wash it. The spindle slipped from her hand and sank. The girl cried and ran home to tell her stepmother. The widow was furious. "You let it fall," she said. "If you want it back, go down and get it yourself!" The poor girl had no choice. She walked back to the well, held her breath, and jumped in.
Mother Hulda - The girl wakes in a flower-filled meadow, saves the loaves from burning, and shakes down every ripe apple. - Scene Illustration 2
The girl wakes in a flower-filled meadow, saves the loaves from burning, and shakes down every ripe apple.
When she opened her eyes, she was lying in a lovely meadow. The sun was warm, and flowers bloomed all around her. She stood up and walked on. Soon she came to an oven full of bread. "Take us out!" the loaves cried. "We are done! We are about to burn!" The girl found a long wooden peel and lifted every loaf out, one by one.
A little further, she met an apple tree bent low with fruit. "Shake me!" it called. "All my apples are ripe!" The girl shook the tree, and the apples fell like red rain. She shook until not one apple was left, then gathered them into a neat pile and walked on.
Mother Hulda - The girl serves Mother Hulda faithfully and shakes the feather bed until snow falls; when she leaves, she is given back her spindle and a coat of gold. - Scene Illustration 3
The girl serves Mother Hulda faithfully and shakes the feather bed until snow falls; when she leaves, she is given back her spindle and a coat of gold.
At sunset she came to a little house. An old woman stood in the doorway. Her teeth were long and big, and she looked strange. The girl wanted to run away. But the old woman smiled and said, "Don't be afraid, dear child. Come and live with me. Do the housework well, and shake my bed hard so the feathers fly. Then it snows in the world above. I am Mother Hulda."
The old woman spoke so kindly that the girl felt at ease and stayed. She worked hard and did everything well. She shook the bed so hard that the feathers flew like snow. Life was good, and the days were peaceful. But after a long time, she began to miss her home. Life here was a hundred times better, yet her heart was still with her family.
"I miss my home," she told Mother Hulda. "I must go back." Mother Hulda nodded. "You have served me faithfully," she said. "I will reward you well." She led the girl to a great door. The girl stepped through, and gold rained down on her from head to foot. Mother Hulda also gave her back the spindle. The door closed, and the girl stood outside her own house. The rooster on the well saw her and crowed: "Cock-a-doodle-doo! Our golden girl is back, shining through and through!"
Mother Hulda - The lazy sister jumps into the well with her heart set on gold, but she refuses to help the bread or shake the apple tree. - Scene Illustration 4
The lazy sister jumps into the well with her heart set on gold, but she refuses to help the bread or shake the apple tree.
The girl came home shining with gold. Her mother was amazed and hugged her tight. When she heard the whole story, her eyes grew greedy. She sent the lazy girl to the well to spin. To make the spindle bloody, the lazy girl pushed her hand into a thorn bush on purpose. Then she threw the spindle into the well and jumped in after it.
She landed in the same meadow and walked the same path. When she reached the oven, the bread cried, "Take us out!" The lazy girl sniffed and said, "Why should I dirty my hands?" and walked on. When she reached the apple tree, it called, "Shake me!" She snorted, "What if an apple falls on my head?" and walked on again.
Mother Hulda - Because the lazy sister shirks her work, Mother Hulda sends her home covered in pitch that never washes off. - Scene Illustration 5
Because the lazy sister shirks her work, Mother Hulda sends her home covered in pitch that never washes off.
When she reached Mother Hulda's house, the lazy girl was not afraid at all. She could only think of the gold. On the first day she worked hard and did everything Mother Hulda asked. On the second day she grew tired and began to slack off. On the third day she would not even get out of bed. She never once shook the feather bed properly.
After a few days, Mother Hulda saw through her. "You may go," she said. "My work is not for you." The lazy girl was overjoyed. She was sure the gold was coming now. Mother Hulda led her to the door. She stepped through — and down came not gold, but a whole pot of hot pitch over her head and body! "That is the wage you earned," said Mother Hulda, and shut the door. The lazy girl went home black from head to foot. The rooster saw her and crowed: "Cock-a-doodle-doo! Our dirty girl is back, all sticky too!" The pitch never washed off, and it stayed with her all her life. And so the tale teaches us: good deeds bring good rewards, while laziness brings its own punishment.

Vocabulary from "Mother Hulda"

12 key words from this story with definitions and original context sentences for language learners.

widowB2
/ˈwɪdəʊ/n.

A woman whose husband has died.

寡妇；丈夫已经去世的女人。

Long ago, a widow had two daughters.

古时候有个寡妇，膝下两个女儿。

stained(stain)B2
/steɪnd/v.

Marked or dirtied by something that leaves a colored mark.

沾上污迹的；染上颜色的。

One day her spindle was stained with blood, so she dipped it into the well to wash it.

这一日，纺锤上染了血，姑娘拿到井边去洗。

furiousB2
/ˈfjʊəriəs/adj.

Extremely angry.

极其生气的；勃然大怒的。

The widow was furious.

继母勃然大怒。

meadowB1
/ˈmedəʊ/n.

A field covered with grass and wild flowers.

草地；草场。

When she opened her eyes, she was lying in a lovely meadow.

等她再睁开眼，竟躺在一片鲜花盛开的草地上，阳光暖洋洋的，四野静悄悄。

ripeB1
/raɪp/adj.

Fully grown and ready to eat.

成熟的；熟透的。

All my apples are ripe!

树上的苹果个个都熟透了！

neatB1
/niːt/adj.

Tidy and carefully arranged.

整齐的；整洁的。

She shook until not one apple was left, then gathered them into a neat pile and walked on.

她摇到枝头一个不剩，又把落地的苹果拢成一堆，这才拍拍手，继续赶路。

faithfullyB2
/ˈfeɪθfəli/adv.

In a loyal and reliable way, with full effort.

忠实地；尽心尽力地。

"You have served me faithfully," she said.

你伺候我尽心尽力，我该好好谢你。

greedyB2
/ˈɡriːdi/adj.

Wanting too much, especially money or things.

贪婪的；贪心的。

When she heard the whole story, her eyes grew greedy.

听罢来龙去脉，母亲眼馋起来，便打发懒女儿也去井边纺线。

amazedB2
/əˈmeɪzd/adj.

Very surprised, in a good way.

非常惊讶的；惊叹的。

Her mother was amazed and hugged her tight.

姑娘一身金光进了家门，母亲又惊又喜，把她搂进怀里。

snorted(snort)C1
/snɔːtɪd/v.

Made a short, loud sound through the nose to show you do not care.

哼了一声；从鼻子里发出不屑的声音。

She snorted, "What if an apple falls on my head?" and walked on again.

懒姑娘哼了一声：“万一苹果落下来砸了我的头，岂不冤枉？”说罢又走了。

pitchC1
/pɪtʃ/n.

A thick, sticky, black liquid that is very hard to remove.

沥青；柏油（又黑又黏，很难洗掉）。

She stepped through — and down came not gold, but a whole pot of hot pitch over her head and body!

她一步跨出去——落下来的哪里是金子，是一整锅滚烫的沥青，浇了她满头满身！

overjoyedB2
/ˌəʊvəˈdʒɔɪd/adj.

Extremely happy.

欣喜若狂的；高兴极了。

The lazy girl was overjoyed.

懒姑娘一听，喜出望外，满心以为金雨就要落下来。

Reading Together & Learning More

The Moral

Good deeds are rewarded, and bad deeds are punished. Hard work and kindness are the truest treasure, while selfish shortcuts lead to a bitter end.

Educational Value

Children learn from the two sisters that helping others and working hard are never a loss — they build good fortune — and that you reap what you sow.

Tips for Parents

After reading, count with your child the good deeds the hard-working girl did along the way, and compare them with the lazy sister's excuses. Then ask about real life: "When someone in your class needs help, what would you do?"

Talk About It

  1. The two sisters met the same pleas on the same road. One helped and one walked away. What do you think made them different — only laziness, or something else?
  2. The lazy sister knew that her sister won gold by helping others and working hard. Why did she still refuse to help along the way?
  3. Mother Hulda never tested anyone face to face, yet she seemed to know everything. Can the things we do every day really stay hidden?
  4. Mother Hulda did not stop the hard-working girl from going home; she even rewarded her. If you were the girl, would you stay or go home? Why?
  5. The story says snow comes from Mother Hulda shaking her feather bed. Can you invent a fun story for thunder, rain, or a rainbow?

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