‘But you, Ashenputtel?’ said he, ‘what will you have?’
‘Father, break off for me the first twig which brushes against your hat on your way home.’
Well, for his two step-daughters he brought beautiful clothes, pearls and jewels, and on his way home, as he was riding through a green copse, a hazel twig grazed against him and knocked his hat off. Then he broke off the branch and took it with him.
When he got home he gave his step-daughters what they had asked for, and to Ashenputtel he gave the twig from the hazel bush.
Ashenputtel thanked him, and went to her mother’s grave and planted the twig upon it; she wept so much that her tears fell and watered it. And it took root and became a fine tree.
Ashenputtel went to the grave three times every day, wept and prayed, and every time a little white bird came and perched upon the tree, and when she uttered a wish, the little bird threw down to her what she had wished for.
Now it happened that the King proclaimed a festival, which was to last three days, and to which all the beautiful maidens in the country were invited, in order that his son might choose a bride.
When the two step-daughters heard that they were also to be present, they were in high spirits, called Ashenputtel, and said:
‘Brush our hair and clean our shoes, and fasten our buckles, for we are going to the feast at the King’s palace.’
Ashenputtel obeyed, but wept, for she also would gladly have gone to the ball with them, and begged her Step-mother to give her leave to go.