THE APPLE DUMPLING.
A long time ago, there was a little old woman that lived away off in the woods. She lived all by herself, in a little cottage with only two rooms in it, and she made her living by knitting blue woollen stockings, and selling them.
One morning the old woman brushed up the hearth all clean, and put every thing in order; then she went to the pantry and took out a great black pot, and filled it full of water, and hung it over the fire, and then she sat down in her arm-chair by the fire. She took her spectacles out of her pocket and put them on her nose, and began to knit on a great blue woollen stocking.
"'Oh dear! oh dear! that's bad! that's bad!' cried the old woman."
Pretty soon she said to herself, "I wonder what I shall have for dinner? I believe I will make an apple dumpling." So she put her knitting down, and took her spectacles off of her nose, and put them in her pocket, and getting out of her arm-chair, she went to the cupboard and got three nice rosy-cheeked apples. Then she went to the knife-box and got a knife, and then she took a yellow dish from the dresser, and sat down in her arm-chair, and began to pare the apples.
After she had pared the apples, she cut each one into four quarters. Then she got up again, and set the dish of apples on the table, and went to the cupboard, and got some flour and a lump of butter. Then she took a pitcher, and went out of doors to a little spring of water close by, and filled the pitcher with clear, cold water. So she mixed up the flour and butter, and made them into a nice paste with the water; and then she went behind the door and took down a rolling-pin that was hung up by a string, and rolled out the paste, and put the apples inside, and covered the apples all up with the paste. "That looks nice," said the old woman. So she tied up the dumpling in a nice clean cloth, and put it into the great black pot that was over the fire.
After she had brushed up the hearth again, and put all the things she had used away, she sat down in her arm-chair by the fire, and took her spectacles out of her pocket and put them on her nose, and began to knit on the big blue woollen stocking.
She knit eight times round the stocking, and then she said to herself, "I wonder if the dumpling is done?" So she laid down her knitting, and took a steel fork from the mantelpiece, and lifted the lid of the pot and looked in.
As she was looking in, her spectacles tumbled off of her nose, and fell into the pot.
"Oh dear! Oh dear!—that's bad, that's bad," said the old woman.
She got the tongs, and fished up her spectacles, and wiped them with the corner of her apron, and put them on her nose again, and then she stuck the fork into the apple dumpling.
The apples were hard. "No, no, no," she said, "it is not done yet."
So she put on the lid of the pot, and laid the fork on the mantelpiece, and sat down in her arm-chair, and began to knit again on the big blue woollen stocking.
She knit six times round the stocking, and then she said to herself—"I wonder if the dumpling is done?"
So she put her knitting down, and took the fork from the mantelpiece, and lifted the lid of the pot, and looked in.
As she was looking in, her spectacles tumbled off of her nose, and fell into the pot.
"Oh dear! Oh dear!—that's bad, that's bad," said the old woman.
She got the tongs and fished up her spectacles, and wiped them with the corner of her apron, and put them on her nose again, and took the fork and stuck it into the dumpling. The apples were just beginning to get soft.
"No, no, no; it is not quite done yet," said the old woman.
So she put on the lid of the pot, and laid the fork on the mantelpiece, and sat down in her arm-chair, and began to knit again on the big blue woollen stocking.
She knit twice round the stocking, and then she said to herself—"I wonder if the dumpling is done?"
So she laid down her knitting, and took the fork from the mantelpiece, and lifted the lid of the pot, and looked in.
As she was looking in, her spectacles tumbled off of her nose, and fell into the pot.
"Oh dear! Oh dear!—that's bad, that's bad," said the old woman.
She got the tongs and fished up her spectacles, and wiped them with the corner of her apron, and put them on her nose again, and took the fork and stuck it into the dumpling.
The apples were quite soft. "Yes, yes, yes; the dumpling is done," said the old woman.
So she took the dumpling out of the pot, and untied the cloth, and turned it into a yellow dish, and set it upon the table.
Then she went to the cupboard and got a plate, and then to the knife-box and got a knife; then she took the fork from the mantelpiece, and drew her arm-chair close up to the table, and sat down in it, and cut off a piece of the dumpling, and put it on her plate.
It was very hot, and it smoked a great deal, so the old woman began to blow it. She blew very hard. As she was blowing, her spectacles tumbled off of her nose, and fell into the dumpling.
"Oh dear! Oh dear!—that's bad, that's bad," said the old woman.
She took her spectacles out of her plate, and wiped them with the corner of her apron, and said to herself—"I must get a new nose. My nose is so little, that my spectacles will not stick on my nose."
So she put her spectacles into her pocket, and began to eat the dumpling.
It was quite cool now. So the old woman ate it all up, and said it was very good indeed.