There was once on a time a mother who had three daughters, the eldest of whom was rude and wicked, the second much better, although she had her faults, but the youngest was a pious, good child. The mother was, however, so strange, that it was just the eldest daughter whom she most loved, and she could not bear the youngest. On this account, she often sent the poor girl out into the great forest in order to get rid of her, for she thought she would lose herself and never come back again. But the guardian-angel which every good child has, did not forsake her, but always brought her into the right path again. Once, however, the guardian-angel behaved as if he were not there, and the child could not find her way out of the forest again. She walked on constantly until evening came, and then she saw a tiny light burning in the distance, ran up to it at once, and came to a little hut. She knocked, the door opened, and she came to a second door, where she knocked again. An old man, who had a snow-white beard and looked venerable, opened it for her; and he was no other than St. Joseph. He said quite kindly, "Come, dear child, seat thyself on my little chair by the fire, and warm thyself; I will fetch thee clear water if thou art thirsty; but here in the forest, I have nothing for thee to eat but a couple of little roots, which thou must first scrape and boil."
St. Joseph gave her the roots. The girl scraped them clean, then she brought a piece of pancake and the bread that her mother had given her to take with her; mixed all together in a pan, and cooked herself a thick soup. When it was ready, St. Joseph said, "I am so hungry; give me some of thy food. The child was quite willing, and gave him more than she kept for herself, but God's blessing was with her, so that she was satisfied. When they had eaten, St. Joseph said, "Now we will go to bed; I have, however, only one bed, lay thyself in it. I will lie on the ground on the straw." - "No," answered she, "stay in your own bed, the straw is soft enough for me." St. Joseph, however, took the child in his arms, and carried her into the little bed, and there she said her prayers, and fell asleep. Next morning when she awoke, she wanted to say good morning to St. Joseph, but she did not see him. Then she got up and looked for him, but could not find him anywhere; at last she perceived, behind the door, a bag with money so heavy that she could just carry it, and on it was written that it was for the child who had slept there that night. On this she took the bag, bounded away with it, and got safely to her mother, and as she gave her mother all the money, she could not help being satisfied with her.
St. Joseph gave her the roots. The girl scraped them clean, then she brought a piece of pancake and the bread that her mother had given her to take with her; mixed all together in a pan, and cooked herself a thick soup. When it was ready, St. Joseph said, "I am so hungry; give me some of thy food. The child was quite willing, and gave him more than she kept for herself, but God's blessing was with her, so that she was satisfied. When they had eaten, St. Joseph said, "Now we will go to bed; I have, however, only one bed, lay thyself in it. I will lie on the ground on the straw." - "No," answered she, "stay in your own bed, the straw is soft enough for me." St. Joseph, however, took the child in his arms, and carried her into the little bed, and there she said her prayers, and fell asleep. Next morning when she awoke, she wanted to say good morning to St. Joseph, but she did not see him. Then she got up and looked for him, but could not find him anywhere; at last she perceived, behind the door, a bag with money so heavy that she could just carry it, and on it was written that it was for the child who had slept there that night. On this she took the bag, bounded away with it, and got safely to her mother, and as she gave her mother all the money, she could not help being satisfied with her.
The next day, the second child also took a fancy to go into the forest. Her mother gave her a much larger piece of pancake and bread. It happened with her just as with the first child. In the evening she came to St. Joseph's little hut, who gave her roots for a thick soup. When it was ready, he likewise said to her, "I am so hungry, give me some of thy food." Then the child said, "You may have your share." Afterwards, when St. Joseph offered her his bed and wanted to lie on the straw, she replied, "No, lie down in the bed, there is plenty of room for both of us." St. Joseph took her in his arms and put her in the bed, and laid himself on the straw.
In the morning when the child awoke and looked for St. Joseph, he had vanished, but behind the door she found a little sack of money that was about as long as a hand, and on it was written that it was for the child who had slept there last night. So she took the little bag and ran home with it, and took it to her mother, but she secretly kept two pieces for herself.
The eldest daughter had by this time grown curious, and the next morning also insisted on going out into the forest. Her mother gave her pancakes with her -- as many as she wanted, and bread and cheese as well. In the evening she found St. Joseph in his little hut, just as the two others had found him. When the soup was ready and St. Joseph said, "I am so hungry, give me some of thy food," the girl answered, "Wait until I am satisfied; then if there is anything left thou shalt have it." She ate, however, nearly the whole of it, and St. Joseph had to scrape the dish. Afterwards, the good old man offered her his bed, and wanted to lie on the straw. She took it without making any opposition, laid herself down in the little bed, and left the hard straw to the white-haired man. Next morning when she awoke, St. Joseph was not to be found, but she did not trouble herself about that. She looked behind the door for a money-bag. She fancied something was lying on the ground, but as she could not very well distinguish what it was, she stooped down, and examined it closely, but it remained hanging to her nose, and when she got up again, she saw, to her horror, that it was a second nose, which was hanging fast to her own. Then she began to scream and howl, but that did no good; she was forced to see it always on her nose, for it stretched out so far. Then she ran out and screamed without stopping till she met St. Joseph, at whose feet she fell and begged until, out of pity, he took the nose off her again, and even gave her two farthings. When she got home, her mother was standing before the door, and asked, "What hast thou had given to thee?" Then she lied and said, "A great bag of money, but I have lost it on the way." - "Lost it!" cried the mother, "oh, but we will soon find it again," and took her by the hand, and wanted to seek it with her. At first she began to cry, and did not wish to go, but at last she went. On the way, however, so many lizards and snakes broke loose on both of them, that they did not know how to save themselves. At last they stung the wicked child to death, and they stung the mother in the foot, because she had not brought her up better.
C'era una volta una madre che aveva tre figlie: la maggiore era scortese e cattiva, la seconda era già molto meglio, benché, avesse anche lei i suoi difetti, mentre la più giovane era una bimba buona e pia. Eppure la madre era così stravagante che prediligeva proprio la figlia maggiore e non poteva soffrire la minore. Per questo mandava sovente la povera bambina in un gran bosco, per levarsela di torno; pensava infatti che si sarebbe persa e che non sarebbe più tornata. Ma l'angelo custode, che ogni bimbo buono ha con s,, non l'abbandonava e la riportava sempre sulla strada giusta. Tuttavia una volta la bimba non riuscì a trovare la strada per uscire dal bosco e l'angioletto finse di non esserci. Così ella continuò a camminare fino a sera; allora vide in lontananza ardere un lumicino, corse verso quella luce e arrivò davanti a una piccola capanna. Bussò, la porta si aprì ed ella giunse a una seconda porta, alla quale bussò di nuovo. Le aprì un vecchio che aveva la barba bianca e un aspetto venerando, e non era altri che san Giuseppe. Egli le disse benevolmente: "Vieni, bimba cara, siediti sulla mia seggiolina accanto al fuoco e scaldati; se hai sete andrò a prenderti un po' d'acqua limpida; da mangiare invece, qui nel bosco, non ho altro per te che qualche radichetta; e prima devi raschiarle e farle cuocere." San Giuseppe le porse le radici; ella le raschiò ben bene, poi prese un pezzetto di frittata e il pane che le aveva dato la madre, mise tutto insieme in un pentolino sul fuoco e si fece una pappa. Quando la pappa fu pronta, san Giuseppe disse: "Ho tanta fame, dammi un po' della tua cena." La bimba lo servì subito e gli diede di più di quello che tenne per s,, ma con la benedizione di Dio si sfamò. Quand'ebbero finito di mangiare, san Giuseppe disse: "Adesso andiamo a dormire, però io ho un letto solo: vacci tu, io mi stenderò per terra sulla paglia." - "No" rispose la bimba "rimani pure nel tuo letto; per me la paglia è abbastanza morbida." Ma san Giuseppe la prese in braccio e la portò nel lettino, e la bimba disse le sue preghiere e si addormentò. La mattina dopo, quando si svegliò, voleva dare il buon giorno a san Giuseppe, ma non lo vide. Si alzò, lo cercò, ma non riuscì a trovarlo da nessuna parte; alla fine scorse dietro la porta un sacco con del denaro, ma così pieno che poteva appena portarlo; sopra c'era scritto che era per la bimba che aveva dormito là quella notte. Allora ella prese il sacco, corse via e arrivò felicemente da sua madre; e siccome le regalò tutto il denaro, la madre non poté, che essere contenta di lei. Il giorno seguente anche la seconda figlia ebbe voglia di andare nel bosco. La madre le diede un pezzo di frittata molto più grosso e del pane. Le cose andarono come per l'altra sorella. La sera giunse alla capannuccia di san Giuseppe, che le diede le radici per la pappa. Quando la pappa fu cotta, egli disse anche a lei: "Ho tanta fame, dammi un po' della tua cena." La bimba rispose: "Mangia pure con me." Poi, quando san Giuseppe le offrì il suo letto e volle coricarsi sulla paglia, ella rispose: "No, vieni anche tu nel letto: c'è posto per tutt'e due." San Giuseppe la prese in braccio, la mise nel lettino e si coricò sulla paglia. La mattina, quando la bimba si svegliò e cercò san Giuseppe, egli era scomparso; ma dietro la porta ella trovò un sacchetto di denaro lungo un palmo, e c'era scritto che era per la bimba che aveva dormito là quella notte. Ella prese il sacchetto, corse a casa e lo portò a sua madre; però tenne per s, di nascosto un po' di denaro. Ora si era incuriosita la figlia maggiore, e il mattino dopo volle andare nel bosco anche lei. La madre le diede frittata a volontà, pane, e in più del formaggio. La sera, proprio come le altre due, el la trovò san Giuseppe nella sua capannuccia. Quando la pappa fu pronta e san Giuseppe disse: "Ho tanta fame, dammi un po' della tua cena" la fanciulla rispose: "Aspetta ch'io sia sazia: ti darò quel che avanzo." E mangiò quasi tutto, sicché, san Giuseppe dovette raschiare la ciotoli na. Poi il buon vecchio le offrì il suo letto e volle coricarsi sulla paglia; ella accettò senz'altro, si coricò nel lettino e lo lasciò sulla paglia dura. Il mattino dopo, quando si svegliò, san Giuseppe non c'era, ma ella non se ne curò; cercò invece il sacco del denaro dietro la porta. Le sembrò che ci fosse qualcosa per terra, tuttavia, poiché, non riusciva a capir bene cosa fosse, si piegò e ci urtò contro con il naso. E al naso le rimase attaccato e, quando si rialzò, vide con terrore che era un altro naso, saldamente appiccicato al suo. Incominciò a gridare e a lamentarsi, ma non servì a nulla: vedeva sempre quel naso, che stava così in fuori. Allora corse via urlando, finché, incontrò san Giuseppe; gli cadde ai piedi, e lo supplicò tanto che egli, impietosito, le tolse quel naso e le regalò ancora due centesimi. Quando giunse a casa, la madre l'aspettava sulla porta e le domandò: "Cos'hai ricevuto in regalo?" La fanciulla mentì e disse: "Un grosso sacco pieno di denaro, ma l'ho perso per strada." - "Perso!" esclamò la madre. "Oh, lo ritroveremo!" La prese per mano e voleva cercarlo con lei. Dapprima la fanciulla si mise a piangere e non voleva andare, alla fine però si mosse; ma per strada furono assalite da tante lucertole e serpi, che non sapevano come porsi in salvo. La fanciulla cattiva fu così uccisa dai loro morsi, e la madre fu morsa in un piede, perché, non l'aveva educata meglio.