Her sisters-in-law, when they saw her place the water-pot on the ground, full to the brim, were intensely mortified. They had looked for her returning with an empty pitcher, thus affording them an ostensible reason for maliciously upbraiding her.
Another time they scattered a large basketful of Mustard seed on the ground, and ordered her to pick up every seed. They said to her, “You must gather it all into the basket again.” What could she do? If she failed they would beat her, entreat her spitefully, and deprive her of food. As she gazed upon the seeds scattered all around her, she bewailed her unhappy condition as follows:
Woe is me! I must refill
This basket with these scattered seeds
Oh! brothers dear, I weeping sing
While business you far hence hath lured.
The plaintive murmur of her song had scarcely died away when a large flock of pigeons alighted near her. They said, “Why do you weep?” She replied, “My sisters-in-law, who hate me, have scattered all this mustard seed on the ground, and have ordered me to pick it all up. One solitary seed must not be left.” The pigeons said, “Do not vex yourself, we will soon pick it up for you.” As the pigeons were very numerous they soon collected it all into the basket. They did not leave one seed on the ground.
When she called her sisters-in-law to come and see how efficiently the work had been done, they were furious at being again balked by her, and vowed vengeance.
Once again, when the brothers were from home, her sisters-in-law ordered her to go to the jungle, and bring a bale of leaves with which to make the family cups and plates. They said to her, “Go to the jungle and bring a large bale of leaves, but do so without in anyway tying them.” What could the girl do? She had been ordered to perform an impossibility. If she refused, or failed to do it, her sisters-in-law would beat her, and deprive her of food. So she went to the forest bewailing her unhappy lot in the following plaintive song;
Woe is me! For I must bring