Never Attain the Golden Rain

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Pretty, industrious stepdaughter, spinning until fingers
bled, bloodstained shuttle fell into the well, she jumped
in after, landed where bread were to be taken from an
oven, apples to be shaken from the tree, she did
everything happily

‘Mother Holle’ asked her to shake her bed well, making
feathers fly for snow on earth, she complied, going home,
she was covered by a golden rain; stepmother sent her
own idle daughter down the well to ‘Mother Holle’ also,
she refused to do anything

When she left pitch fell over her, stuck fast for as long as
she lived – I read and blushed and blushed, I did not work
diligently in the office, did not study the Assessment Form
or the Work Agreement or edit a long, boring letter
thoroughly when I fell ill

Just like the idle daughter I did not help to shake snow on
earth for the season’s proper course, hiding my feeling of
confusion, instead of admitting openly I could not carry out
instructions, tonight I am covered in pitch for
doing badly in my duties

And I’m sad, I want to do my job – and I cannot, I shall never
attain the golden rain, however hard I try, inside I remain the
same, tired and fatigued, the best intentions come to naught
- what a terrible shame!


“Favourite Tales from Grimm and Andersen”
Orbis Publishing, London, 1985
“Mother Holle” by the Brothers Grimm p. 121 – 125
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