Once upon a time...

ONCE UPON A TIME...

There lived two sisters. They lived in two pretty little cottages, one of the north side of a wide river, and one on the south, and in the garden of each cottage, there was a magic berry bush. For no matter the season or the weather, whenever a berry was plucked from the bush, another berry would grow before the next morning.

One day it happened that both of these sisters were visited by a witch, who made them a curious offer. “Simply give to me, each day, 10 of the berries fresh picked from the magic bush. Do this for a year and a month and a day, and on that last day, I shall give you a bag of gold.” Well, as you can imagine, both girls jumped at the chance, and went diligently to pick 10 berries for the witch. On that first morning, the girls both got ten berries, and several scratches as well, but thinking of the gold, they both handed the berries to the witch happily, and she went on her way, promising to return next morning for the next 10 berries.

The next morning, when the girls went to their berry bushes, they found that only 8 berries were easy to reach – for the others were growing high up, and in the thick of brambles. Persevering, the girls reached the berries down, and when the witch arrived, handing the berries over. But the witch said to the each sister in turn “See, this berry you have plucked is not ripe. I have only 9 berries that I can eat here. Please pick another one for me.” The first sister nodded, return to the bush, and with some difficulty, plucked an eleventh berry for the witch, who thanked her kindly and left. The second sister, however, frowned at the witch and said 'Do not try to trick me, crone. Our agreement was 10 berries each day, not 11 – I owe you no more than 10.' The witch was most disappointed, but agreed that the payment had been made, and the deal was not broken.

The next day, the same thing happened, and the next. But on the fourth day that the witch came, the first sister had no difficulty in plucking ten ripe berries – for as she had plucked all the berries from high up on the bush, and deep in the brambles, now the berries grew on the outer parts of the bush, and were plentiful and easy to reach. The second sister however, had picked only the easiest berries to reach, and the ones that had been in the thickest part of the bush had rotted on the branch. So, when she picked her ten berries, they were harder to reach, and she was much pricked as she got the tenth. More than ever, this day, she would not listen to the witch's request for ripe berries – and this time, her complaint was that three of the berries were not good to eat.

Well, and so it continued, and as time went on, the first sister found more and more berries on her bush, plentiful and easy to reach, and she found pleasure in spending a few minutes of her day in the sunshine of her garden, with such an easy and pleasant chore, and then the visit from the witch, who was congenial company, and became her friend as they grew to know one another.

But each day, the second sister found it harder to reach the berries, and was more worried and unhappy each time, as the witch scowled at the hard, small, sour offerings the girl made to her. The husband of the second sister saw how scratched and worn she was, and how she hated this task the witch had set her, and he bethought himself how it could be made easier on her. “My love,” he said one day, as she picked the berries “You have but 5 berries for all your travail this morning, and need twice that number, and the bush cannot provide. Why don't you rest yourself, and I shall go and call upon your sister, and see if she can spare us a few of her berries?” Well, the sister agreed, of course, and off he went on their donkey, to the bridge across the river. And in a short time, he returned, with five berries, as promised, and gave them to the witch himself. And she parted, happier than she had been for a long while.

The following day, it was only three good berries that she found upon her bush, and the husband was off again to the sister, and returned with seven berries. And the next day, it was only one berry she found. It did not sit well with the husband to be begging each day from his sister-in-law, so he offered to pay a copper coin each day for 10 berries, and the bargain was struck.

So, for a time, both sisters were happy. The witch had ten berries from each girl, and the first enjoyed her berry picking, and the second enjoyed her leisure time as the husband fetched the berries. But after a while, the husband spoke to his wife, saying “These berries are not cheap, when we must buy them each day. Can you not pluck some more berries from the bush, and save us the coin?' But when they went to look at the berry bush, they saw that it was barren, and no berries at all grew on it – for all had rotted away, and not been picked, and so the bush was bare.

And there came a time when the husband had to sell their donkey, and take himself to find work in the town – and so it fell to the sister to make the long walk across the bridge each morning to buy the ten berries off her sister. And whenever she tired, she remembered how the brambles had scratched her arms, and counted herself lucky to have merely a long walk each day instead.

And after a year and a month and a day, the witch came to the first sister, smiling, with a bag of gold. And instead of bidding her farewell, the sister said that, if she wished, she could come to visit anytime, and welcome. “There will always be berries and a warm welcome for you.” said she.

And the witch came to the second sister's house and was given the last ten berries, and handed over the bag of gold. And the door was slammed in her face. And much of the gold was spent before they could enjoy it – a new donkey, and shoes for both man and wife – since their shoe leather was well worn with the walking each day.

Both sisters gave the witch her berries. Both sisters received a bag of gold for doing it. And both sisters felt they had the better part of the deal.

THE END