The Three Sisters
Once there were three sisters. Their father and mother had died, and the sisters were very poor. To earn money, they spun yarn. The girls spun and spun all day.
The tired girls sat at the table. All they had was bread.
“How I wish I could eat a juicy leg of lamb!” said one sister. She closed her eyes and imagined the lamb!
The second sister sighed and said, “Lamb is good with almonds and rice!”
The third sister said enthusiastically, “Lamb is delicious with red radishes!”
Every day when they spun they imagined a delicious table of food.
They spun and sang happily:
How very tasty and how very nice
Is roasted lamb stuffed with almonds and rice!
The three sisters spun and spun. Every day, they saved their money. One year later, they had money for some lamb.
Finally, they had some lamb! The girls prepared the table. The girls smelled the juice of the lamb and the sweet almonds. “How delicious!” they cried .
Then the three sisters happily sat down to eat.
Suddenly, the older sister suddenly called out, “Oh no!, We have forgotten to get red radishes!”
The three sisters ran out the door. They went to the garden for radishes. They ran so fast, they did not close the door.
As they ran they sang happily:
How very tasty and how very nice
Are red radishes, lamb, almonds and rice!
A man saw the open door and heard the sisters’ song.
“Lamb? Almonds and Rice? I will eat well today!” he thought.
The smell came through the door.
The man came through the door, too, and carried off the juicy lamb and rice!
When the three sisters returned to their house, they couldn’t believe their bad luck.
They cried and screamed. Their delicious table of food had been stolen!
They had no energy or joy. They could not sing or spin or go on at all.
All three girls sang sadly:
How very bitter, after such sacrifice!
Are stolen lamb, almonds, and rice.
The first sister got sick very quickly. She died just 10 days later.
The second sister was so sad to have lost the first sister, she died 20 days later.
The third sister was so devastated, she died 30 days later.