Having heard
her tale, he said he would leave his horse to stay with her, and make
the ox more contented. So she tied the horse to the foot of her bed,
and, thinking how surely evil was coming upon her with the night,
she burst out crying anew. A boy just then came along with a
snapping-turtle that he had caught, and stopped to ask what had
happened to her. On learning the cause of her weeping, he said it was
of no use to contend against sprites, but that he would give her his
snapping-turtle as a proof, of his sympathy. She took the turtle, tied
it in front of her bedstead, and continued to cry.
Some men who were carrying mill-stones then came along, inquired
into her trouble, and expressed their compassion by giving her a
mill-stone, which they rolled into her back yard. A little later a man
arrived carrying hoes and pickax, and asked her why she was crying so
hard. She told him her grief, and he said he would gladly help her if
he could, but he was only a well-digger, and could do nothing for her
other than to dig her a well. She pointed out a place in the middle of
her back yard, and he went to work and quickly dug a well.
On his departure the old woman cried again, until a paper-seller came
and inquired what was the matter.
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