here was once a little woman who had nine sons they were good boys and loved her dearly but there was one thing about which they were always complaining why haven’t we a little sister? they kept asking do give us a little sister when the time came that another child was to be born they said to their mother if the baby is a boy we are going away and you will never see us again but if it is a little girl then we shall stay home and take care of it
the mother agreed that if the child were a girl she would have her husband put a spindle outside on the gatepost and if it were a boy an axe just wait she said and see what your father Just wait puts on the gatepost and then you will know whether it is another brother God sent you or a little sister the baby turned out to be a girl and the mother was overjoyed her name is Leah hurry husband she cried and put a spindle on the gatepost so that our nine sons may know the good news this is my thirteenth story on the list the man was her husband did so and then quickly returned to the mother and the baby Leah was a very beautiful little baby there was a little fairy appeared in front her name is Bertha the moment he was gone Seletar slipped up and changed the tokens this is a little tale she changed the spindle and put it in its place an axe then with an evil grin she hurried off mumbling to herself the magic was very strong now we’ll what we’ll see the story was true she hoped to bring trouble and grief and she succeeded Leah was very beautiful she was very sweet the garden was very pretty as soon as the nine sons saw the axe on the gatepost the flowers were very sweet they thought their mother had given birth to another son and at once they thought their the world was very magical they left home vowing never to return the story was very long the mother waited for them and waited what is keeping my sons? she cried at last it was the middle of the story now go out to the gate husband and see if they are coming the man went out and soon returned bringing back word that someone had changed the tokens the fairies were very friendly the spindle that I put on the gatepost is gone he said and in its place is an axe alas cried poor mother some evil creature has done this to spite us the world was very enchanted oh if we could only get word to our sons of the little sister they were so eager to have but there was no way to reach them for no one knew the way they had gone