The Little Watercress Girl

There was once a little girl who had to sell watercresses for her living because she was very poor. One day she met an old witch who said to her, " If you will come and help me to keep my house I will sell your watercresses for you."  

The little girl said, " I will try my best."  

"But there is one thing you must promise me," said the witch, " and that is this: you must not look up the chimney."  

The girl promised that she would not, and went to live at the witch's house. After she had been there a few days she wanted badly to look up the chimney, and she said to herself, "Surely there would be no harm in just having one peep."  

So she peeped up the chimney, and saw a white bag there, and pulled it down. Then she opened it and found that it was full of money. Her eyes glistened at the sight of so much wealth, and she said, "I mean to keep this, for I am very poor."  

So she carried the bag of money into an orchard close by where many fruit-trees grew.  

First of all she went up to the apple-tree, and said, “Apple-tree, apple-tree, hide me ; and if any one shall ask thee whether thou hast seen me, say 'I have not’ ” 

So the apple-tree promised to hide her. When the witch came back and found that her bag of money was gone she looked everywhere for the little watercress girl. She searched all through the house, and at last she went into the orchard.  

First of all she went up to the gooseberry-bush, and said, "Gooseberry -bush, gooseberry-bush, hast thou seen a little girl with a white bag in her hand?"  

But the gooseberry-bush said, " Nay." Then the witch went to every tree in the garden, asking each the same question, but all the trees said, " Nay."  

At last she came to the apple-tree, which said " Nay," like the other trees.  

So the little girl was hidden by the apple-tree, and when the witch had gone to bed she carried the bag of money home.  

"Better still," said the girl.  

Next slie dusted the chairs, when down fell a bag full of gold.  

"That's just what I want," said the girl.  

Next she looked into the cupboard, and there was her glass ball!  

" Oh, you don't know how glad I am," she said, and clapped her hands.  

Last of all she went upstairs and looked under the bed, and there was the fox! 

She was almost frightened to death, and she ran down- stairs, through the garden, and up the town street, and came to a lane, and at the top of the lane she met a horse, and she said to the horse: 

"Horse of mine, horse of mine, If you meet a man of mine, don't say that I've passed by."  

And the horse said, “I will not."  

A little further on she met a cow, and said " Cow of mine, cow of mine, If you meet a man of mine, don't say that I've passed by."  

And the cow said, "I will not."  

A little further on she met a mule, and said " Mule of mine, mule of mine, If you meet a man of mine, don't say that I’ve passed by."  

And the mule said, "I will not."  

A little further on she met a dog, and said " Dog of mine, dog of mine, If you meet a man of mine, don't say that I've passed by."  

And the dog said, "I will not." 

A little further on she met a cat, and said “Cat of mine, cat of mine, If you meet a man of mine, don't say that I’ve passed by."  

And the cat said, "I will not."  

Last of all she met an owl, and said "Owl of mine, owl of mine, If you meet a man of mine, don't say that I've passed by."  

And the owl said, "I will not."  

But the fox had followed the girl, and he came to the same lane, where he met the same horse, and said to him “Horse of mine, horse of mine, Hast thou met a maid of mine? " And the horse said, “She's just passed by."  

Next he met the same cow, and said to her "Cow of mine, cow of mine, Hast thou met a maid of mine? " And the cow said, “She's just passed by."  

A little further on he met the same mule, and said " Mule of mine, mule of mine, Hast thou met a maid of mine? " And the mule said, "She's just passed by."  

A little further on he met the same dog, and said “Dog of mine, dog of mine, Hast thou met a maid of mine? " And the dog said, " She's just passed by."  

A little further on he met the same cat, and said "Cat of mine, cat of mine, Hast thou met a maid of mine? "And the cat said, " She's just passed by."  

Last of all he met the owl, and said "Owl of mine, owl of mine, Hast thou met a maid of mine? "And the owl said, " She's just passed by." 

"Which way did she go?” said the fox. The owl answered, “You must go over that gate, and across that field, and behind the wood you will find her."  

Away ran the fox, over the gate and across the field, and into the wood, but neither the fox, the girl, or the glass ball have ever been heard of since.