a girl awoke in the forest, shivering from the cold of the howling wind her tent of rags could not keep out. steeling herself against her daily tasks, she gathered her sack and left the tent.
she spent hours foraging in the forest for the day's food. a mushroom here, an apple there. finally, when it was complete, it was her time to rest by the spring in the sun. she lay there and she slept for hours. but the sun began to fall and it was her time to return to her tent.
on her return, she came across a cottage with a garden and a fence. though it was not yet evening she could see a warm fire burning inside, and children, and a mother preparing dinner. she imagined herself the keeper of such a garden, such a one that meant she might never have to wander in the forest again depending on luck to find her food.
she was leaning on her toes, peering over the fence in the hopes of that just seeing all the bounty would be something like eating it, when the mother came outside.
"shoo rabbits," she said, responding to the noise made by the girl. she slapped at the fence close to where she stood with her stick. "you won't take my vegetables, not today."
the girl removed herself from the fence and returned home.
the next day, before she gathered her fruit, she returned to the cottage. she sat at the gate and she waited, and waited, for the children to come outside to play.
"won't you come play with me?" she said to one of them, taking their hand and removing off into the forest. when they got to her spring, she said, "i have an idea. let's play hide and seek, why don't we?" and she left the child there. she returned to the cottage.
the mother, noticing that a child had gone missing, panicked and ran to the woods. she shouted the name of the child, but heard nothing. she went further and further into the trees, until the girl could no longer hear the shouts of the mother.
the girl stole into the house, and bolted the door.
there on the table was a ready breakfast, which she ate in a rush.
overcome by the full stomach, the warm fire, and the exhaustions of the morning, the girl fell asleep.
when she awoke, the house was cold and in disrepair. cobwebs littered the corners. outside, the vegetable garden had gone rotten. 10 years had passed.
bound now to this fate, she set to work repairing the home and bringing the vegetable garden back to life. she toiled every day. she collapsed in exhaustion every night.
one particularly cold and stormy night, a loud knock sounded on her door. she opened the door, and an old woman stood out in the cold. "oh, do come in!" the girl said, urgently pulling in the old woman to the warmest seat by the fire. "let me serve you some food, I have plenty."
the guest ate her food and spit it out. "what kind of woman are you that makes slop like this for food." she went on to find every fault in her home, and demanded a place to sleep.
the girl shrunk in embarrassment. she offered her bed, the only comfortable place to sleep, to the old woman.
the next morning, the old woman set to correcting the girls home. she taught her to cook proper meals, to keep things tidy, to grow food in sufficient variety and supply to provide for the household.
one day a hunter arrived at her door. they were wed. she made children.
none of this was ever good enough for the old woman. the girl was forever embarrassed of what she couldn't do. she continued breaking herself down toiling in the home for a glimpse of her approval.
on occasion, the old woman would sneak off for a night before returning the next day.
on one such occasion the girl followed behind and was shocked to discover that her guest kept a home in a castle, where she would be waited on by servants, sit under silks and drink mulled wine as she watched children play underfoot.
envious of the old woman, the girl made her plan.
on the next nighttime escape, the girl followed her again. deep in the wood she overcame the crone and held a knife to her throat. she bound her hands, took her cloak, and continued on to the castle.
arriving at the castle, she walked in assuming the same demeanor as had the old woman. she presented herself stately, sat in the chair underneath those beautiful silks, demanded wine. the servants, for all they understood, said nothing.
after her delicate and exquisite meal, rich with the flavors from exotic lands, she drifted to sleep.
when she awoke, it was the early hours of the morning.
she felt a dagger by her side. when she grabbed it, she saw that now her hands looked as those of an old woman. her hair had turned white.
looking out the picture window of her luxurious bedroom, she saw in the distance a tent, and in it, a young girl still asleep. in those pre-dawn hours under the protection of fog, she went to the tent, and cut holes in the fabric.