While you far hence by trade are lured.
Going to the bear’s den she sat down and wept. The she-bear was not in the den, only two cubs were there, who, when they saw the girl, took pity upon her, and asked why she wept. She replied, “My brothers have gone away on business, and my sisters-in-law, who hate me, have sent me to procure bear’s milk in order to harass and annoy me.” The bear cubs then said, “Our mother will eat you, if she finds you, so we will hide you, and you must keep quiet while she is here.” The she-bear on entering the cave said, “I smell a human being.” The cubs replied, “There is no one here.” The young ones succeeded in obtaining a small quantity of their mother’s milk in the girl’s earthen vessel, and after the mother bear had left, the cubs dismissed her with their best wishes for her welfare.
Her sisters-in-law were extremely annoyed when she presented the bear’s milk to them. They had expected that the bear would have torn her to pieces, or that she would have returned empty handed, and thus give them another chance to abuse and reproach her.
The girl’s sisters-in-law again took advantage of their husbands’ absence to send her to bring water from the spring in a water-pot with a hole in it. They said, “Go bring water in this water-pot.” What could the girl do? She placed it on her head, and went towards the spring bewailing her unhappy lot in the following plaintive song,
Woe is me! For I must bring
Spring water in a leaking jar
Oh! brothers dear, I weeping sing
While business you far hence hath lured.
She seated herself near the well, and exclaimed, “How can I carry water in this pot?” At that moment a frog raised his head above the reeds, and said, “Why do you sit here lamenting?” The girl replied, “My sisters-in-law, who hate me, have ordered me to bring water in this pot which has a large hole in the bottom. How is it possible for me to obey their order?” The frog replied, “Do not worry yourself over it, I will help you.” So he pressed himself tightly over the hole, and she filled her pot, and carried it home on her head.