On the third morning she said to the girl, "You must build me a castle on the plain there, and it must be ready by the evening."
The maiden was dismayed, and said,
"How can I complete such a great work."
"I will
endure no opposition", screamed the step-mother.
"If you can empty a pond with a
spoon that is full of holes, you can build a castle too.
I will take possession
of it this very day, and if anything is wanting,
even if it be the most trifling
thing in the kitchen or cellar, you know what lies before you."
She drove the
girl out, and when she entered the valley,
the rocks were there, piled up one
above the other,
and all her strength would not have enabled her even to move
the very smallest of them.
She sat down and wept, and still she hoped the old
woman would help her.
The old woman was not long in coming, she comforted her
and said,
"Lie down there in the shade and sleep, and I will soon build the
castle for you.
If it would be a pleasure to you, you can live in it yourself."
When the maiden had gone away, the old woman touched the gray rocks.
They began
to rise, moved together and stood there as if giants had built the walls,
and on
these the building arose and it seemed as if countless hands were working
invisibly,
and placing one stone upon another.
There was a dull heavy noise from the ground, pillars arose of their own accord on high,
and placed themselves in
order near each other.
The tiles laid themselves in order on the roof, and when
noon-day came,
the great weather-cock was already turning itself on the summit
of the tower,
like a golden maid with fluttering garments.
The inside of the
castle was being finished while evening was drawing near.
How the old woman
managed it, I know not,
but the walls of the rooms were hung with silk and
velvet,
embroidered chairs were there, and richly ornamented arm-chairs by
marble tables,
crystal chandeliers hung down from the ceilings, and mirrored
themselves in the smooth floor,
green parrots were there in gilt cages, and so
were strange birds which sang most beautifully,
and there was on all sides as
much magnificence as if a king were going to live there.
The sun was just
setting when the girl awoke,
and the brightness of a thousand lights flashed in
her face.
She hurried to the castle, and entered by the open door.
The steps
were spread with red cloth, and the golden balustrade beset with flowering
trees.
When she saw the splendor of the rooms, she stood as if turned to stone.
Who knows how long she might have stood there if she had not remembered the
step-mother.
"Alas", she said to herself, "If she could but be satisfied at last, and would give up making my life a misery to me."
The girl went and told her that
the castle was ready.
"I will move into it at once", said she, and rose from her
seat.
When they entered the castle,
she was forced to hold her hand before her
eyes,
the brilliancy of everything was so dazzling.
"You see", said she to the girl, "how easy it has been for you to do this, I ought to have given you something harder."
She went through all the rooms, and examined every corner to
see,
if anything was wanting or defective, but she could discover nothing.
"Now we
will go down below", said she, looking at the girl with malicious eyes.
"The
kitchen and the cellar still have to be examined
and if you have forgotten
anything you shall not escape your punishment."
But the fire was burning on the
hearth, and the meat was cooking in the pans,
the tongs and shovel were leaning
against the wall,
and the shining brazen utensils all arranged in sight.
Nothing
was missing, not even a coal-box and a water-pail.
"Which is the way to the cellar", she cried. "If that is not abundantly filled with wine casks it shall go ill with you."
She herself raised up the trap-door and descended,
but she had
hardly made two steps before the heavy trap-door which was only laid back, fell
down.
The girl heard a scream, lifted up the door very quickly to go to her aid,
but she had fallen down, and the girl found her lying lifeless at the bottom.