So they went in and took the hemp and span it, and wove it, and did as much in the six remaining days as any human being could have done in twenty years; moreover, they cleaned up everything, and made everything look spick-and-span new.
Then they gave her a bag of walnuts, saying, ‘in half an hour your husband will be home; go to bed and put this bag of walnuts under your back. When he comes in say you have worked so hard that all your bones are out of joint; then move the bag of walnuts and they will make a noise, c-r-r-r-r, and he will think it is your bones which are loosened, and will say you must never work again.’
When the husband came home his mother went out to meet him, saying—
‘I told you I did not think there was much work in your “treasure.” When you go up you’ll see what a fine mess the place is all in; and as to the hemp, you had better have left it locked up, for a fine mess she has made of that.’
But the husband went up and found the place all in shining order, and so much hemp spun and woven as could scarcely be got through in twenty years. But the wife was laid up in bed.
When the husband came near the bed she moved the bag of walnuts and they went c-r-r-r-r.
‘You have done a lot of work indeed!’ said the husband.
‘Yes,’ replied the wife; ‘but I have put all my bones out of joint; only hear how they rumble!’ and she moved the walnuts again, and they went c-r-r-r-r. ‘It will be sometime before I am about again.’
‘Oh, dear! oh, dear!’ said the husband; ‘only think of such a treasure of a wife being laid up by such marvellous diligence.’
And to his mother he said: ‘A mother-in-law has never a good word for her daughter-in-law; what you told me was all pure invention.’