The Three Spinners
Once, there was a girl who refused to spin and remained idle, even when her mother implored her to do so. Finally, the mother became so overwhelmed with rage and frustration that she struck the girl, causing her to burst into loud sobs. Just then, the Queen happened to pass by and upon hearing the loud weeping, she halted her carriage and entered the residence, she inquired of the mother why she was striking her daughter so severely that the sounds could be heard from the road. Feeling embarrassed to disclose her daughter's idleness, the mother responded, "I cannot persuade her to stop spinning." "She persists in spinning incessantly, and I am unable to provide her with flax because I am poor," the mother explained. The Queen replied, "There is nothing that brings me greater pleasure than the sound of spinning, and I am always content when the wheels are whirring." "Allow your daughter to accompany me to the palace, where I have plenty of flax, and there she can spin to her heart's content," the Queen proposed. The mother was delighted with this offer, and the Queen took the girl with her. Upon arriving at the palace, the Queen brought the girl to three rooms, each overflowing with the most exquisite flax from floor to ceiling. "Now, spin this flax for me," she instructed. "Once you've finished, my eldest son shall marry you, even if you come from humble beginnings. I do not mind that, for your tireless work ethic is a sufficient dowry." The girl was secretly frightened because she knew that she could never spin the flax, not even if she were to live for three hundred years and spend every day from morning until night working at it. Left alone, the girl began to cry and remained motionless for three days. On the third day, the Queen returned and was surprised to find that no flax had been spun, the girl explained that she had been unable to start due to the immense sorrow of leaving her mother's home. The Queen was content with her excuse, but before leaving, she added, "You must start working tomorrow."
Left alone once more, the girl was unsure of what to do, she went to the window in distress, and saw three women approaching her. The first woman had a wide and flat foot, the second had a large underlip that hung down over her chin, and the third had a broad thumb. Standing before the window, the women asked the girl what was wrong. She told them about her predicament, and they offered their assistance, saying, "If you invite us to the wedding, do not be ashamed of us, call us your aunts, and seat us at your table, we will spin the flax for you in a very short time." "I agree to your conditions," the girl said. "Please come in and start working right away." So she allowed the three women to enter and cleared a space for them in the first room, they sat down and began spinning. One of the women pulled the thread while operating the wheel, the second moistened the thread, and the third twisted it and tapped the table with her finger, every time she tapped, a skein of thread fell to the ground, spun in the finest manner possible. The girl kept the three spinners hidden from the Queen and every time the Queen came, she showed her the large amount of spun thread, the Queen praised her greatly for it. After the first room was emptied, she proceeded
