The Golden Slipper

A kind, hardworking young woman lived with her mother and older sister. One day her mother went with the older daughter to a holiday church service and asked…

A kind, hardworking young woman lived with her mother and older sister. One day her mother went with the older daughter to a holiday church service and asked the younger one to gather the ripe rye from the field. The young woman did not complain. She tied the golden stalks into neat bundles and laid them beside a woven basket.

Not far from the field was a clear lake. Right by the shore, the young woman spotted a little silvery fish in a shallow basket. A wave had washed the fish onto the grass. Holding the basket with both hands, she gently lowered the fish into the water. Its silver tail flashed in the sunlight, and the fish promised to thank her for her kindness.

By evening, all the rye had been gathered. The young woman returned to the lake to thank it for its coolness. The fish swam up and made a circle in the water. In a soft golden glow, one little golden slipper appeared on the shore. “This is more than a pretty thing,” said the fish. “It will remind whoever finds it that kindness shows in what we do.”

The next morning, the young woman put on her best dress and went to the bright white church. She carried the golden slipper in a cloth bag. By the open doors, it slipped out unnoticed and remained on the path. A young prince picked it up. He thought such an unusual object must have a kind story behind it and decided to return what he had found.

The prince asked the people near the church about the slipper. He learned that it had been brought by the young woman from the house beside the rye field. He sent her an invitation to come to the palace garden with her family. There she tried on the slipper, and it fitted her foot exactly. She told him about her work, the fish she had helped and losing the slipper at the church. The prince gave her back her slipper. Then they talked in the garden for a long time and realised that they wanted to get to know each other better.