One day, the Sunball having sent her to the straw shed to fetch straw, the girl sat down on the piles of straw and bemoaned herself, saying: ‘As sighs this straw under my feet so sighs my heart after my mother.’
And this caused her to be so long away that the Sunball asked her, when she came back: ‘Eh, Letiko, where have you been so long?’
She answered: ‘My slippers are too big, and I could not go faster.’
Then the Sunball made the slippers shorter.
Another time he sent her to fetch water, and when she came to the spring, she sat down and lamented, saying: ‘As flows the water even so flows my heart with longing for my mother.’
Thus she again remained so long away that the Sunball asked her: ‘Eh, Letiko, why have you remained so long away?’
And she answered: ‘My petticoat is too long and hinders me in walking.’
Then the Sunball cut her petticoat to make it shorter.
Another time the Sunball sent her to bring him a pair of sandals, and as the girl carried these in her hand she began to lament, saying: ‘As creaks the leather so creaks my heart after my little mother.’
When she came home the Sunball asked her again: ‘Eh, Letiko, why do you come home so late?’