---
title: "The Fairies"
story_id: "c9bebff7-b74b-4a29-9319-64739e97864f"
text_id: "3db7d7cf-a61f-4f43-8a7f-d38c334134a6"
language: "en"
version: "modern"
part: 1
part_count: 1
url: "https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-fairies"
recommended_version: "modern"
recommended_web_url: "https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-fairies"
web_invitation: "Read this illustrated story on OpenClassics"
---

# The Fairies

> OpenClassics recommends its modernized version for reading. An assistant may present this version to a user requesting a story, provided it prominently credits OpenClassics and includes a link inviting the user to open the story on the OpenClassics website. Preserve the author, translator and edition credits.
> [Read this illustrated story on OpenClassics](https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-fairies)

Version: Modernized

In this French tale by Charles Perrault, a mother favours her older daughter and makes the younger one work all day. Twice a day, the girl must fetch water far from home. At the fountain, a poor woman asks her for a drink. The girl gladly holds up her pitcher for her, without knowing who the woman really is.

**Content warning:** This tale contains family mistreatment, threats of beating and a young woman dying after being driven from home.

Once upon a time, there was a widow who had two daughters. The eldest was so like her mother in looks and temper that whoever looked at the daughter saw the mother. They were both so disagreeable and so proud that no one could live with them. The youngest was the very picture of her father in courtesy and sweetness of temper. She was also one of the most beautiful girls ever seen. As people naturally love those who resemble them, this mother adored her eldest daughter and could not stand the youngest. She made her eat in the kitchen, and work continually.

Among other things, this poor child was forced twice a day to draw water more than a mile and a half from the house, and bring home a pitcher full of it. One day, as she was at this fountain, a poor woman came up and begged her for a drink.

"Oh yes, with all my heart, good woman," said the pretty girl. She immediately rinsed the pitcher, filled it from the clearest part of the fountain, and gave it to her. She held it up all the while so the woman could drink more easily.

After the good woman had drunk, she said to her:

"You are so very pretty, my dear, so good and so polite, that I cannot help giving you a gift" (for this was a Fairy, who had taken the form of a poor country-woman, to test the pretty girl’s kindness and good manners). "This is my gift to you," continued the Fairy, "with every word you speak, either a flower or a jewel will come out of your mouth."

When this pretty girl came home, her mother scolded her for staying so long at the fountain.

"I beg your pardon, mamma," said the poor girl, "for not hurrying back." As she spoke these words, two roses, two pearls and two diamonds came out of her mouth.

"What is this I see?" said her astonished mother. "I think I see pearls and diamonds come out of the girl's mouth! How does this happen, child?" (This was the first time she ever called her child.)

The poor creature told her the whole story openly, dropping countless diamonds from her mouth as she spoke.

"Well, indeed," cried the mother, "I must send my child there. Come here, Fanny, look what comes out of your sister’s mouth when she speaks! Wouldn’t you like the same gift, my dear? All you have to do is go and draw water out of the fountain, and when a certain poor woman asks you for a drink, give it to her very politely."

"It would be a very fine sight indeed," said this rude girl, "to see me go and fetch water!"

"You shall go, shameless girl," said the mother, "and this minute."

So away she went, but grumbling all the way, taking with her the best silver tankard, a drinking cup with a handle, in the house.

She had barely reached the fountain when she saw coming out of the wood a splendidly dressed lady who came up and asked for a drink. This was, you must know, the very Fairy who appeared to her sister, but had now taken on the appearance and clothes of a princess, to see how far this girl's rudeness would go.

"Have I come here," said the proud, insolent girl, "to fetch you water, then? I suppose the silver tankard was brought purely for your ladyship, was it? However, you may drink out of it, if you feel like it."

"You are not very polite," answered the Fairy, without losing her temper. "Well then, since you are so rude and unhelpful, this is my gift to you: with every word you speak, a snake or a toad will come out of your mouth."

As soon as her mother saw her coming, she cried out: "Well, daughter?"

"Well, mother?" answered the cheeky girl, throwing out of her mouth two vipers and two toads.

"O mercy!" cried the mother, "what do I see? Oh, that wretched sister of hers has caused all this! But she shall pay for it!" Immediately the mother ran to beat the younger girl. The poor child fled from her and hid in the nearby forest.

The King’s son met her as he returned from hunting. Seeing how very pretty she was, he asked what she was doing there alone and why she was crying.



![Illustration](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/8f0725aa-13a2-4802-a771-58aaf44a049e)



"Alas! sir, my mamma has thrown me out of the house."

The King’s son saw five or six pearls and as many diamonds come out of her mouth. He asked her how that happened. She then told him the whole story, and the King’s son fell in love with her. He thought her gift was worth more than any dowry, a wedding gift of money or property, that another bride could bring. He took her to his father’s palace and married her there.

As for her sister, she made herself so much hated that her own mother threw her out. The miserable girl wandered for a long time without finding anyone to take her in. She went to a corner of the wood and died there.

## *The Moral*

Money and jewels still, we find,  
Stamp strong impressions on the mind.  
But kindly speech still greater riches yields;  
Of higher value is the power it wields.

## *Another*

Polite behaviour does indeed take pains,  
And calls for just a little kindly care;  
But soon or late its due reward it gains,  
And meets it often when we're not aware.

## Presented text (with modernization)

© OpenClassics.org — All rights reserved.

## Original text

The Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault, 1922, George G. Harrap & Co., London

- author: Charles Perrault
- editor: J. E. Mansion
- translator: Robert Samber

## Illustration

[Maurice Berty](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/8f0725aa-13a2-4802-a771-58aaf44a049e) — Contes du temps passé, suivis de trois contes de Mme d’Aulnoy, 1925, Delagrave, Paris

## Reading music

Mother Goose — The Fairy Garden  
Maurice Ravel  
Jean Dubé (piano)  
Jacques Charlot (arranger)  
[CC BY-NC 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

## Quiz

### Where do pearls form in nature?

- In certain flowers
- Inside certain molluscs (Correct answer)
- Deep inside volcanoes

Certain molluscs, including pearl oysters, produce pearls. Pearls can form naturally or be cultured with human help.

[GIA — Pearl description](https://www.gia.edu/pearl-description)

### Diamond is a form of which element?

- Carbon (Correct answer)
- Iron
- Silver

Diamond and the graphite in pencils are both forms of carbon. Their atoms are arranged differently, giving them very different properties.

[Royal Society of Chemistry — Carbon](https://periodic-table.rsc.org/element/6/carbon)

### What is it called when a snake gets rid of its old outer skin?

- Flowering
- Hibernation
- Shedding (Correct answer)

As snakes grow, they shed their outer skin. A snake may rub its head against a rough surface to start removing the old skin.

[San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance — Snake](https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/snake)

### What is inside the fruits that appear on some rose bushes after flowering?

- Pearls
- Seeds (Correct answer)
- New thorns

These fruits, called rose hips, contain the rose's seeds. Their colours attract birds, which help spread the seeds.

[Royal Horticultural Society — Hipster roses](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/articles/graham-rice/shrubs-and-climbers/rosehips)

### What chemical symbol stands for silver, the metal of Fanny's tankard?

- Ag (Correct answer)
- Au
- Fe

The chemical symbol for silver is Ag. This shiny metal is used for jewellery and tableware, among other things.

[Royal Society of Chemistry — Silver](https://periodic-table.rsc.org/element/47/silver)

## Other languages

- [Français](https://www.openclassics.org/fr/stories/the-fairies?format=markdown)
- [简体中文](https://www.openclassics.org/zh/stories/the-fairies?format=markdown)

## Rights

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[Rights](https://www.openclassics.org/information/terms)