MOTHER FROST—I
by James H. Fassett
The Golden Girl and the Pitch Girl
Lily was a kind girl. She lived with her stepmother and stepsister, Greta. Lily worked very hard each day. Her stepmother was not kind to her. Greta was lazy and did not work.
Lily sat by the spring. She spun thread every day. One day, her spindle fell in. The stepmother was angry. She said, "Go get the spindle!"
Lily went back to the spring. She leaned too far over. She fell into the water. Lily found a pretty field. Many flowers grew there.
She saw an Oven. The Oven said, "Pull us out!" Lily pulled bread. She saw an Apple Tree. The Tree said, "Shake me!" Lily shook apples.
Lily came to a house. Mother Frost lived there. Mother Frost had big teeth. She asked Lily to work. Lily shook Mother Frost's bed well.
Lily worked for a long time. She felt sad for home. She asked Mother Frost to go. "I want to go home now," she said.
"You worked well," Mother Frost said. She led Lily to a gate. Gold fell on Lily. It covered her clothes. "Here is your spindle," she said.
Lily walked home. She was all golden. A Rooster on the roof crowed. "Cock-a-doodle-doo! Our golden lady is home!"
The stepmother saw the gold. She wanted gold for Greta. She sent Greta to the spring. Greta dropped her spindle. She jumped into the spring.
Greta saw the Oven. The Oven said, "Pull us out!" Greta refused. She saw the Apple Tree. The Tree said, "Shake me!" Greta refused.
Greta came to Mother Frost. She said she would work. Greta was very lazy. She did not shake the bed. The feathers did not fly.
Mother Frost sent Greta away. She led Greta to the gate. Black sticky paint fell on Greta. It covered her clothes. "That is your pay," she said.
Greta walked home sticky. The Rooster on the roof crowed. "Cock-a-doodle-doo! Our sticky lady is home!"
Lily was happy and golden. Greta was sticky and sad. Good work brings good things, but bad work brings bad things.
Original Story
MOTHER FROST—I
At the edge of a wood there was a great, clear, bubbling spring of cold water.
Near this spring lived a widow and her two daughters.
One of them was very beautiful and a great help about the house, while the other was ugly and idle.
The mother loved only the ugly one, for she was her own child.
She cared so little for the other daughter that she made her do all the hard work.
Every day the poor girl would sit beside the spring and spin and spin, until her fingers bled.
One day, while she was washing the blood from her hands, the spindle fell into the spring and sank to the bottom.
With tears in her eyes, she ran and told her stepmother what she had done.
The stepmother was angry and said, "You let the spindle fall into the spring. Now you must go and get it out."
The maiden went back to the spring to look for the spindle.
She leaned so far over the edge that her hand slipped, and down, down, she sank to the very bottom.
All at once she found that she was in a beautiful field where many wild flowers grew.
As she walked across the field, she came to a baker's oven full of new bread.
The loaves cried to her, "Oh, pull us out! pull us out, or we shall burn!"
"Indeed I will!" cried the maiden.
Stepping up, she pulled all the sweet brown loaves out of the oven.
As she walked along, she came to a tree full of apples.
The tree cried, "Shake me! shake me! my apples are all quite ripe!"
"Indeed I will!" cried the maiden.
So she shook the tree again and again, until there was not an apple left on its branches.
Then she picked up the apples, one by one, and piled them in a great heap.
When she had picked up all the apples, she walked on.
At last she came to a small house.
In the doorway sat an old woman who had such large teeth that the girl felt afraid of her and turned to run away.
Then the old woman cried, "What do you fear, my child? Come in and live here with me. If you will do the work about the house, I will be very kind to you. Only take care to make my bed well.
You must shake it and pound it so that the feathers will fly about. Then the children down on the earth will say that snowflakes are falling, for I am Mother Frost."
The old woman spoke so kindly that she won the maiden's heart.
"I will gladly work for you," she said.
The girl did her work well, and each day she shook up the bed until the feathers flew about like snowflakes.
She was very happy with Mother Frost, who never spoke an angry word.
After the girl had stayed a long time with the kind old woman, she began to feel homesick.
She could not help it, though her life with Mother Frost had been so happy.
At length she said, "Dear Mother Frost, you have been very kind to me, but I should like to go home to my friends."
"I am pleased to hear you say that you wish to go home," said Mother Frost. "You have worked for me so well that I will show you the way myself."
She took the maiden by the hand and led her to a broad gateway.
The gate was open, and as she went through a shower of gold fell over the maiden.
It clung to her clothes, so that she was dressed in gold from her head to her feet.
"That is your pay for having worked so hard," said the old woman. "And here is your spindle that fell into the spring."
Then the gate was closed, and the maiden found herself once more in the world.
She was not far from her own home, and as she came into the farmyard, a cock on the roof cried loudly:
"Cock-a-doodle-doo!
Our golden lady has come home, too."
MOTHER FROST—II
When the stepmother saw the girl with her golden dress, she was kind to her. Then the maiden told how the gold had fallen upon her.
The mother could hardly wait to have her own child try her luck in the same way.
This time she made the idle daughter go to the spring and spin.
The lazy girl did not spin fast enough to make her fingers bleed.
So she pricked her finger with a thorn until a few drops of blood stained the spindle.
At once she let it drop into the water, and sprang in after it herself.
The ugly girl found herself in a beautiful field, just as her sister had.
She walked along the same path until she came to the baker's oven.
She heard the loaves cry, "Pull us out! pull us out, or we shall burn!"
But the lazy girl said to the brown loaves, "I will not. I do not want to soil my hands in your dirty oven."
Then she walked on until she came to the apple tree.
"Shake me! shake me!" it cried, "for my apples are quite ripe."
"I will not," said the girl, "for some of your apples might fall on my head."
As she spoke, she walked lazily on.
At last the girl stood before the door of Mother Frost's house.
She had no fear of Mother Frost's great teeth, but walked right up to the old woman and offered to be her servant.
For a whole day the girl was very busy, and did everything that she was told to do.
On the second day she began to be lazy, and on the third day she was still worse.
She would not get up in the morning.
The bed was never made, or shaken, so the feathers could fly about.
At last Mother Frost grew tired of her and told her that she must go away.
This was what the lazy girl wanted, for she felt sure that now she would have the golden shower.
Mother Frost led her to the great gate, but she passed under it, a kettle full of black pitch was upset over her.
"That is what you get for your work," said the old woman, as she shut the gate.
The idle girl walked home, covered with pitch.
When she went into the farmyard the cock on the roof cried out:
"Cock-a-doodle-doo!
Our sticky lady has come home, too."
The pitch stuck so fast to the girl that, as long as she lived, it never came off.
WILLIAM AND JACOB GRIMM
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Moral of the Story
Hard work, kindness, and diligence are rewarded, while idleness, selfishness, and cruelty lead to unpleasant consequences.
Characters
The Good Daughter ★ protagonist
Of average height and slender build, with a delicate frame. Her hands are often reddened and calloused from constant work, particularly her fingertips which are prone to bleeding from spinning. Her overall appearance is one of gentle beauty, despite her hardships.
Attire: Initially wears simple, worn peasant clothing typical of 19th-century Central Europe: a plain, perhaps patched, linen or wool dress in muted earth tones, possibly with a simple apron. Upon her return, she is adorned in a dress made entirely of shimmering gold, clinging to her from head to foot, likely in a flowing, elegant style.
Wants: To fulfill her duties, please her stepmother (initially), and eventually, to return home to her familiar world.
Flaw: Her obedience and desire to please make her vulnerable to exploitation by her stepmother.
Starts as an exploited and unhappy maiden, but through her good deeds and perseverance, she is rewarded with wealth and recognition, gaining respect and a better life.
Diligent, kind, obedient, compassionate, and resilient. She readily helps others and performs her duties without complaint.
The Ugly Daughter ⚔ antagonist
Described as 'ugly,' implying less pleasing features than her stepsister. She is likely of a similar build but carries herself with a sense of entitlement and laziness. Her hands are soft and unblemished from lack of work.
Attire: Wears similar peasant clothing to her stepsister, but perhaps newer or less worn, as she does no work. Upon her return, she is covered in sticky, black pitch from head to foot, staining her clothes permanently.
Wants: To gain wealth and reward without putting in any effort, driven by greed and envy of her stepsister.
Flaw: Her extreme laziness and selfishness, which prevent her from doing good deeds and lead to her downfall.
Starts as a spoiled and lazy girl, and her continued laziness and selfishness lead to her being permanently disfigured and shamed, receiving a just punishment for her character.
Lazy, selfish, rude, entitled, and disobedient. She refuses to help others and seeks only personal gain without effort.
The Widow ◆ supporting
Likely of average height and build for an adult woman of her time. Her appearance might show signs of age or hardship, but her focus is on her own child.
Attire: Simple, practical peasant clothing, perhaps a dark skirt and blouse, indicative of her status as a widow and her household's modest means.
Wants: To ensure her own child's comfort and success, even at the expense of her stepdaughter's well-being.
Flaw: Her extreme favoritism and lack of empathy, which blind her to the good in her stepdaughter and the flaws in her own child.
Remains unchanged in her character, but her actions lead to the contrasting fates of her two daughters.
Cruel, unfair, selfish, and biased. She shows favoritism towards her own child and mistreats her stepdaughter.
Mother Frost ◆ supporting
An old woman, but not frail. Her most striking feature is her 'large teeth,' which initially frighten the maiden. She is associated with winter and snow, suggesting a robust, perhaps slightly imposing, presence.
Attire: Likely wears warm, practical clothing suitable for a cold environment, perhaps made of thick wool or fur, in colors like white, grey, or pale blue, reflecting her connection to winter. Her attire would be traditional for a Germanic folk figure.
Wants: To maintain the natural order of winter (making snow) and to test and reward/punish those who come into her realm based on their character.
Flaw: None explicitly stated; she is a powerful, benevolent figure.
Remains a consistent figure of justice and natural order, serving as a catalyst for the maidens' transformations.
Kind, fair, wise, and observant. She rewards diligence and punishes laziness justly.
The Baker's Oven ○ minor
A traditional, large brick or stone baker's oven, likely with a wide, arched opening. It is full of freshly baked, sweet brown loaves of bread.
Attire: N/A (object)
Wants: To be saved from burning its bread.
Flaw: Its inability to save its own bread.
N/A
Desperate, vocal, and in need of help.
The Apple Tree ○ minor
A mature apple tree, laden with ripe apples. Its branches are heavy with fruit.
Attire: N/A (plant)
Wants: To have its ripe apples shaken free from its branches.
Flaw: Its inability to shake its own apples.
N/A
Desperate, vocal, and in need of help.
The Cock ○ minor
A typical farmyard cock, likely with bright, colorful plumage and a prominent comb and wattles. It is perched on the roof of the farmhouse.
Attire: N/A (animal)
Wants: To announce the arrival of the maidens.
Flaw: N/A
N/A
Observant, vocal, and serves as a herald.
Locations
Widow's Farmstead by the Spring
A modest, functional farmstead situated at the edge of a wood, featuring a great, clear, bubbling spring of cold water. The farmyard likely includes a simple, half-timbered house with a thatched roof, typical of a German rural setting, and a prominent cock on the roof.
Mood: Initially oppressive and sorrowful for the good daughter, later a place of revelation and contrast upon her return.
The good daughter's daily toil, the loss of the spindle, and both daughters' returns from Mother Frost's realm.
The Magical Underworld Field
A beautiful, vibrant field filled with many wild flowers, bathed in an ethereal light. It's a surreal, idyllic landscape that serves as a gateway to Mother Frost's domain, featuring anthropomorphic elements like a talking baker's oven and an apple tree.
Mood: Magical, enchanting, and slightly surreal, with a sense of wonder and opportunity.
The good daughter's journey of kindness and the lazy daughter's journey of selfishness, marked by their interactions with the oven and tree.
Mother Frost's House
A small, cozy house, likely a simple, sturdy cottage, possibly with a stone foundation and timber walls, reflecting a German folk aesthetic. The interior is dominated by Mother Frost's bed, which is central to the 'snow-making' process, and a broad gateway for departure.
Mood: Initially fearful due to Mother Frost's appearance, but quickly becomes warm, nurturing, and industrious for the good daughter; later, it becomes a place of judgment for the lazy daughter.
The good daughter's diligent service and reward, and the lazy daughter's idleness and punishment.
Story DNA
Moral
Hard work, kindness, and diligence are rewarded, while idleness, selfishness, and cruelty lead to unpleasant consequences.
Plot Summary
A kind, diligent maiden, mistreated by her stepmother and stepsister, loses her spindle in a spring and is forced to retrieve it. She falls into a magical realm where she helps a talking oven and apple tree, then diligently serves Mother Frost by shaking her bed to make snow. For her kindness and hard work, she is rewarded with a shower of gold upon her return home. Envious, the lazy stepsister attempts the same journey but refuses to help anyone and is idle with Mother Frost, resulting in her being covered in black pitch as a punishment, which she wears forever.
Themes
Emotional Arc
suffering to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This tale, often attributed to the Brothers Grimm (though Fassett's version is a retelling), reflects common European folk motifs of rewarding virtue and punishing vice, particularly within the domestic sphere.
Plot Beats (13)
- A kind, diligent maiden lives with her cruel stepmother and lazy stepsister, forced to do all the chores.
- While spinning by a spring, her spindle falls in, and her stepmother orders her to retrieve it.
- The maiden falls into the spring and finds herself in a magical field.
- She encounters a talking oven and an apple tree, both of which she kindly helps.
- She meets Mother Frost, a powerful old woman, and agrees to work for her, diligently shaking her bed to make snow.
- After a period of happy service, the maiden becomes homesick and asks to return home.
- Mother Frost rewards her diligence by showering her with gold as she passes through a gate, and returns her spindle.
- The maiden returns home, covered in gold, to the surprise of her family and the crowing of a cock.
- The stepmother, envious, sends her own lazy daughter to the spring to seek the same fortune.
- The lazy daughter refuses to help the talking oven and apple tree.
- She goes to Mother Frost's house but is idle and neglectful of her duties, especially making the bed.
- Mother Frost dismisses her, and as she passes through the gate, she is covered in black pitch.
- The lazy daughter returns home, permanently stained with pitch, to the cock's mocking cry.
