"What will I have to do?" said 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 be 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.
When she got to the horse, the horse said: "Rub me! Rub me! for I haven't
been rubbed these seven years."
"Oh, poor horse, poor horse," she said, "I'll surely do that." And she laid
down her bag, and rubbed the horse.
Then she went on, and it wasn't long before she met the sheep, who said:
"Oh, shear me, shear me! for I haven't been shorn these seven years."
"O, poor sheep, poor sheep," she said, "I'll surely do that," and she laid
down the bag, and sheared the sheep.
On she went till she met the goat, who said: "O, change my tether! Change
my tether! for it hasn't been changed these seven years."
"O, poor goat, poor goat," she said, "I'll surely do that," and she laid
down the bag, and changed the goat's tether.
Then she went on till she met the lime-kiln. The lime-kiln said: "O, clean
me! clean me! for I haven't been cleaned these seven years."
"O, poor lime-kiln, poor lime-kiln," she said, "I'll surely do that," and
she laid down the bag and cleaned the lime-kiln.
Then she went on and met the cow. The cow said: "O, milk me! Milk me! for I
haven't been milked these seven years."
"O, poor cow, poor cow," she said, "I'll surely do that," and she laid
down the bag and milked the cow.
At last she reached the mill. The mill said: "O, turn me! turn me! for I
haven't been turned these seven years."
"O, poor mill, poor mill," she said, "I'll surely do that," and she turned
the mill too.
As night was on her, she went in and lay down behind the mill door to
sleep.
When the hag came into her hut again and found the girl gone, she ran to
the chimney to see if she had carried off the bag. She got into a great
rage, and started to run as fast as she could after her.
She had not gone far until she came up to the horse and said: "O, 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?"
The horse said: "Do you think I have nothing to do only watch your maids
for you? You may go somewhere else and look for information."
Then she came upon the sheep. "O, sheep, sheep of mine, have you seen 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?"
The sheep said: "Do you think I have nothing to do only watch your maids
for you? You may go somewhere else and look for information."
Then she went on till she met the goat. "O, goat, goat of mine, have you
seen 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?"
The goat said: "Do you think I have nothing to do only watch your maids for
you? You can go somewhere else and look for information."
Then she went on till she came to the lime-kiln. "O, lime-kiln, lime-kiln
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?"
Said the lime-kiln: "Do you think I have nothing to do only watch your
maids for you? You may go somewhere else and look for information."
Next she met the cow. "O, cow, cow of mine, have you seen 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?"
The cow said: "Do you think I have nothing to do only watch your maids for
you? You may go somewhere else and look for information."
Then she got to the mill. "O, mill, mill of mine, have you seen 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?"