Well, the girl was that frightened! She had always been such a gatless creature that she didn’t even know how to spin! She sat down on a stool and she began to cry. How she did cry!
However, all of a sudden she heard a knocking, knocking, low down at the door. She got up and she opened the door. There stood a little black thing, WITH A LONG BLACK TAIL. And That looked up at her out of the corner of That’s eyes, and That says:
“What are you crying for?”
“What’s that to you?” says she.
“Never you mind, but tell me what you are crying for. Perhaps I can help you,” the little black thing told her.
“Well, it can’t do any harm, if it doesn’t do any good,” she thought. So she told him all about the five pies, and the five skeins and everything.
“This is what I’ll do,” says that little black thing, twirling his BIG BLACK TAIL. “I’ll come to your window every morning and get the flax, and at night I’ll bring it home all spun.”
“What’s your pay?” says she.