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beautiful, and this shows how very, very
long ago she must have lived. Her hair
was like the golden waving wheat, and
her eyes like the blue forget-me-not as
it blooms and brightens its hiding-place
beside the brook. She was slender and
graceful. Her step was light, for her
heart was free. Wherever she went she
carried cheerfulness, just as the gentle
rays of the sun, stealing through the for
est shade show beauties where all before
was dark.
Helena’s mother dressed her in the
gayest of clothes, while Maruschka pos
sessed only an old gray dress, cast off
by her sister. Helena wore black shoes
with silver buckles, while Maruschka
clattered along the church path in wood
en shoes. Around Helena's neck there
was a large gilt chain, but Maruschka
had only a Turkish blue ribbon, with a
silver cross, which a lady had given her
for showing her the way through the
forest.
When the mother and the two maid
ens.would go to church on Sunday, the
lads would stand in the cliurch-yard and
whisper, “There is the beautiful Ma
ruschka but the mother never heard
them say “beautiful Helena.” For
this reason she was angry and hated the
golden-haired, blue-eyed maiden, and
Helena did all in her power to make her
sister’s life miserable. Maruschka had
all the heavy work, the scouring, cook
ing and washing to do, while Helena
stood all day long before the looking
glass, adorning herself, and wishing that
Sunday would come, so that the lads
might see her.
The mother and Helena would order
and strike Maruschka, and yvere never
weary of scolding her.
One day, in the middle of winter,
Helena said :
“ Oh! if I only had a bunch of vio
lets to wear on my bosom at church to
morrow. Quick, Maruschka! run in
the woods and pick me a bunch to smell
while the priest preaches.”
“But, sister,” urged Maruschka,
“ wdio ever heard of violets blooming in
the winter, under the deep snow ?’ ’
“ You useless creature,” cried Helena,
“go this minute and pick the violets.”
“Pick a big bunch,” screamed the
mother, “or don’t you dare to set your
foot back in the house to-night,” and
she pushed her out of the house and
slammed the door.
Weeping bitterly, Maruschka went in
to the wood. The snow lay a foot deep,
and white wreaths hung from the shrubs
and dark fir-trees. The maiden soon
lost her way. Twilight came, ajid then
the stars began to twinkle through the
trees. The north wind blew and shook
the snow over Maruschka from the
branches. Now and then a rook would
fly through the air, frightening her by
his hoarse cry and the flapping of his
great wings.
Suddenly she spied, on the top of one
of the hills, a red, flickering light.
Hopefully she clambered up the roeks,
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and soon came to a great fire. Around
this fire there lay twelve large stones,
and on each stone there sat a man.
Three of them had gray beards, three
had light beards, three were young men
and three others were the youngest and
handsomest. One sat on the seat of
honor, and held a long wand in his
hand, his white hair floating in the
wind.
After Maruschka had stood astonish
ed for a few moments, she mustered all
her courage, and stepping into the cir
cle, said:
“ Good friends, let me warm by your
fire, for I am almost frozen to death.”
“ Come near, child,” said he with the
floating hair. “ What brings you here?”
“ I am looking for violets,” answered
she.
“Violets! This is no time for vio
lets, while the ground is covered with
snow.”
“•Ah, sir, that I know, but my mother
and Helena ordered me to bring violets,
and if I do not find them I must freeze
to death. Tell me, kind shepherd,
where they grow.”
Then the old man arose, and going
up to one of the blooming youths, placed
the wand in his hand.
“Brother March,” said he, “take
rule.”
The month of March took his place
on the upper seat and waved the wand
over the fire. Suddenly the flames
grew brighter, and the snow began to
melt, and the hazel bushes were covered
with the green nuts. Buds burst forth
on the branches, and the grass sprang
up out of the moist earth. The cow
slips were in bloom, and under the
bushes the ground was covered with
fragrant violets.
‘ 1 Quick 1 Maruschka, gather! ” order
ed March.
The maiden soon picked her hands
full, and after bowing to the twelve
months, and thanking them kindly, she
hastened home.
Helena was astonished when she saw
Maruschka return with the beautiful
bouquet.
“ Where did you find violets?” asked
she.
“ High up on the mountain, under the
hawthorn tree.”
Helena snatched the violets, and put
them on her bosom. Her mother was
pleased to smell them, but Maruschka
did not get a single flower.
The next day, when the mother and
sisters returned from church, Helena
threw away the violets and seated her
self at the supper table. She was angry
with her sister, for, notwithstanding the
violets on her bosom, the lads had only
seen Maruschka, and whispered togeth
er, “ Maruschka is wonderfully beauti
ful to-day.”
Helena sat sighing, and hated her
sister more and more.
“Oh! if I only had some strawber
ries,” cried she, at last. “I can eat
nothing but strawberries to-day. Quick,
Maruschka! run into the wood and
bring me a plate full,”
“ Dear sister, this is not the season
for strawberries; who ever heard of
them being ripe under the snow ?”
Then the stepmother cried out angri
ly, “Run, Maruschka, and bring what
your sister orders, or I will strike you
dead.” And she drove her out of the
house.
The poor maiden wept, and looked
longingly at the warm fire on the hearth
as it shone through the window, but
without strawberries she dared not go
back; and so she went on into the
wood.
Again the wind blew and the snow
flakes fell, but through them she saw the
fire and the solemn twelve.
“Dear, good friends,” begged Ma
ruschka, “allow me to warm myself
again at your fire, for I am almost fro
zen to death.”
The old man with the flowing hair
said :
“ Child, come near ; but what brings
you here?”
“I am seeking strawberries,” said
she.
“Strawberries! this is not the time
for strawberries, when the snow lies
deep.”
“Oh! sir, that I know, but Helena
and my mother ordered me to bring
strawberries, or they would kill me.
Tell me, good shepherd, where they
grow.”
Then the ice-month rose, went to one
of the young men, and placing his wand
in his hand, said :
“ Brother June, take the rule.”
Then Junq took his place on the up
per seat and waved the wand over the
fire. Immediately it glowed like mol
ten gold, and its rays were reflected
through the forest, like sunshine. Rosy
clouds floated through the blue heavens,
not a flake of snow was to be seen, but
in its place the green turf, bushes and
trees. The doves cooed, and in the
wild-rose vine the black bird began to
trill, and' the thrush whistled. A little
slope, however, was covered with gold
spotted green berries. The leaves droop
ed, the berries grew larger, and were
soon of a rich red.
“Quick! Maruschka, gather!” said
June.
The maiden hastened joyfully to the
slope, and soon filled her apron with
the precious berries. Then she thank
ed the twelve with all her heart and ran
home.
Helena was not a little astonished as
the strawberries filled the house with
their delightful fragrance.
“ Where did you get strawberries?”
asked she.
“ High up on a mountain, under a
dark rock.”
Helena and her mother now ate the
berries, and did not give Maruschka one.
The next evening Helena had no ap
petite for her supper.
“Oh! if I only had a ripe apple,”
said she. “Quick! Maruschka, run in
to the wood and bring me one.”
And, as before, Maruschka was shoved
out of the door, and again she found the
helpful twelve. At her petition for a
ripe apple, the man with the white hair
placed the wand in the hand of one of
the oldest, of his companions, saying :
“Brother September, take the rule.”
Then the month of September took
his place on the upper seat, and waved
the wand over the fire. Sparks and
smoke went up towards Heaven. The
snow melted; but this time the trees
were only covered with withered foliage,
and the dry leaves rustled on the ground.
Here and there bloomed a few yellow
flowers, and the bees, wasps and flies
buzzed in the forest. But Maruschka
saw, not far off, an apple tree, among
whose branches the ripe apples hung.
“Quick! Maruschka, shake!'’ order
ed September.
She shook, and one apple fell; she
shook again, and another came.
“ Quick, Maruschka, hasten home,”
said the month.
She thanked him with all her heart,
and went back to her stepmother and
Helena.
“How many apples did you pick?”
asked the latter, after she had recovered
from her astonishment at seeing the ripe
fruit.
“ Only two.”
“ Where did you find them ?”
“ On a tree which stood high up on
the mountain.”
“ Why did you not pick more ? You
ate them on the way home.”
“Sister, I have not tasted one. I
shook the tree and one fell, I shook a
second time and another fell. I could
not get any more.”
Then Helena struck poor Maruschka,
and drove her into the kitchen. She
and her mother each ate an apple, and
never before were such sweet apples
tasted.
“Mother,” cried Helena, “give me
my furs ; I will go into the wood and
bring more apples.”
And she wrapped hersedf up and ran
into the wood. The snow lay thick, and
Helena lost her way. But the fire shone
from the hill, and she found the twelve
sitting still and solemn around it. Hel
ena stared a moment, and then pushed
through the circle to warm herself.
“What seek you here?” asked he
with the white beard and furrowed
brow.
“It is none of your business,” answer
ed she sharply, over her shoulder.
The ice-month shook his head and
waved his wand over the fire. At once
the flames sank so low that they scarce
ly glimmered. The clouds rose in the
heavens, and sent down such a mass of
snow that nothing could be seen between
the earth and sky but the white flakes.
The northwind sighed in the forest and
whistled over the mountain. Helena
fled. She ran here and there, falling