Maria seized the crab
and carried it to the house. At first she did not want to cook it,
for she knew that it was her mother; but Juana whipped her so hard,
that at last she was forced to obey. Before it was put in the earthen
pot to be cooked, the crab said to Maria, "Maria, don't eat my flesh,
but collect all my shell after I am eaten, and bury the pieces in
the garden near the house. They will grow into a tree, and you can
have what you want if you will only ask the tree for it." After her
parents had eaten the flesh of the crab, Maria collected all its shell
and buried it in the garden. At twilight she saw a tree standing on
the very spot where she had buried the shell.
When night came, Rosa and Damiana went to the ball, and Juana retired
for the night as soon as her daughters were gone. When Maria saw that
her aunt was sleeping, she went into the garden and asked the tree
for what she wanted. The tree changed her clothes into very beautiful
ones, and furnished her with a fine coach drawn by four fine horses,
and a pair of golden slippers. Before she left, the tree said to her,
"You must be in your house before twelve o'clock.
Pages:
690
691
692
693
694
695
696
697
698
699
700
701
702
703
704
705
706
707
708
709
710
711
712
713
714