She went in and struck her with a white rod, and turned her into a
stone. She then took the bag of gold and silver on her back and went
away back home.
A year and a day had gone by after the eldest daughter left home, and
when they found she had not returned, the second daughter got up, and
she said: "My sister must be doing well and making her fortune, and
isn't it a shame for me to be sitting here doing nothing, either to help
you, mother, or myself? Bake me a bannock," said she, "and cut me a
callop, till I go away to push my fortune."
The mother did this, and asked her would she have half the bannock with
her blessing, or the whole bannock without.
She said the whole bannock without, and she set off. Then she said: "If
I am not back here in a year and a day, you may be sure that I am doing
well and making my fortune," and then she went away.
She traveled away and away on before her, far farther than I could tell
you, and twice as far as you could tell me, until she came into a
strange country, and going up to a little house, she found an old Hag
living in it. The old Hag asked her where she was going. She said she
was going to push her fortune.
Said the Hag: "How would you like to stay here with me, for I want a
maid?"
"What will I have to do?" says she.
"You'll have to wash me and dress me, and sweep the hearth clean; and on
the peril of your life never look up the chimney," said the Hag.
"All right," she agreed to this.
The next day, when the Hag arose, she washed her and dressed her, and
when the Hag went out she swept the hearth, and she thought it would do
no harm to have one wee look up the chimney. And there, what did she see
but her own mother's long leather bag of gold and silver! So she took it
down at once, and getting it on her back, started away for home as fast
as she could run.
But she had not gone far when she met a horse grazing in a field, and
when he saw her he said: "Rub me! Rub me! for I haven't been rubbed
these seven years."
But she only struck him with a stick she had in her hand and drove him
out of her way.
She had not gone much farther when she met the sheep, who said: "Oh,
shear me! Shear me! for I haven't been shorn in seven years."
But she struck the sheep and sent it scurrying out of her way.
She had not gone much farther when she met the goat tethered, and he
said: "Oh, change my tether! Change my tether! for it hasn't been
changed in seven years."
But she flung a stone at him and went on.
Next she came to the limekiln, and that said: "Oh, clean me! Clean me!
for I haven't been cleaned these seven years."
But she only scowled at it and hurried on.
Then she came to the cow, and it said: "Oh, milk me! Milk me! for I
haven't been milked these seven years."
She struck the cow out of her way and went on.
Then she came to the mill. The mill said: "Oh, turn me! Turn me! for I
haven't been turned these seven years."
But she did not heed what it said, only went in and lay down behind the
mill door, with the bag under her head, for it was then night.
When the Hag came into her hut again and found the girl gone, she ran to
the chimney and looked up to see if she had carried off the bag. She
flew into a great rage, and she started to run as fast as she could
after her.
She had not gone far when she met the horse, and she said: "Oh, horse,
horse of mine, did you see this maid of mine, with my tig, with my tag,
with my long leather bag, and all the gold and silver I have earned
since I was a maid?"
"Aye," said the horse, "it is not long since she passed here."
So on she ran, and it was not long until she met the sheep, and said
she: "Oh, sheep, sheep of mine, did you see this maid of mine, with my
tig, with my tag, with my long leather bag, and all the gold and silver
I have earned since I was a maid?"
"Aye," said the sheep, "it is not long since she passed here."
So she goes on, and it was not long before she met the goat, and said:
"Goat, goat of mine, did you see this maid of mine, with my tig, with my
tag, with my long leather bag, and all the gold and silver I have earned
since I was a maid?"
"Aye," said the goat, "it is not long since she passed here."
So she goes on, and it was not long before she met the limekiln, and
said she: "Limekiln, limekiln of mine, did you see this maid of mine,
with my tig, with my tag, with my long leather bag, and all the gold and
silver I have earned since I was a maid?"
"Aye," said the limekiln, "it is not long since she passed here."
So she goes on, and it was not long before she met the cow, and says
she: "Cow, cow of mine, did you see this maid of mine, with my tig, with
my tag, with my long leather bag, and all the gold and silver I have
earned since I was a maid?"
"Aye," said the cow, "it is not long since she passed here."
So she goes on, and it was not long before she met the mill, and said
she: "Mill, mill of mine, did you see this maid of mine, with my tig,
with my tag, with my long leather bag, and all the gold and silver I
have earned since I was a maid?"