Mother Holle’s Snow

A girl dropped her spindle beside an old well and could not find it. While searching, she noticed a shining doorway in the garden wall and stepped into a sunlit meadow.

An oven beside the path called for help. Its loaves were baked and needed lifting out. The girl used the long bread paddle carefully and placed them on a cooling shelf.

Next, an apple tree asked her to gather its ripe fruit. She shook the low branches gently and collected the fallen apples. Nothing was left to spoil beneath the grateful tree.

At a small cottage, Mother Holle welcomed her warmly. The old woman needed help keeping the rooms tidy. Most importantly, her feather bed must be shaken every morning until its feathers danced.

The girl shook the quilt beside the open window. White feathers flew through the clear air and became snowflakes over the world below. Gardens and roofs received a soft winter blanket.

She worked cheerfully, then began missing home. Mother Holle listened instead of scolding. She returned the lost spindle and led the girl towards a golden doorway at the meadow's far edge.

A shower of golden light settled on the girl's dress as she stepped home. Her sister heard the story and wanted the same reward. Soon she found the magical doorway herself.

The sister hurried past the bread and apples without helping. At the cottage, she shook the quilt only once. She spent the next mornings waiting for gold, and very little snow fell.

Mother Holle sent her home without the golden shower. The sister felt disappointed, but understood what she had missed. She returned to the meadow and began by helping the waiting bread.

Later, both sisters helped shake the great quilt. Snow fell softly over their village, while ripe apples rested beside fresh bread. This time the second sister enjoyed the work before thinking about rewards.