70 THE TWELVE MONTHS

I

Laura and Clara were sisters. They had no father or mother, so they lived with an old woman in a little hut near the great forest.

Laura was kind and gentle, but Clara was cross and fretful.

Now, the old woman always let Clara do as she pleased, but she was very unkind to Laura. This was because Clara was like her, for the old woman was cross and fretful, too.

So Laura had to do all the hard work. She had to wait upon Clara and the old woman.

One winter morning Clara was sitting by the fire. It was cold, and she was very cross.

“How I hate winter! ”she said, “There is nothing to do but to sit by the fire. I want spring to come. I want some violets. Laura, go out and get some violets! ”

“Ask me to do something that can be done, ”said Laura, laughing. “The violets are all asleep under the snow.”

“Why do you laugh? ”said the old woman, “Do as your sister tells you.”

She opened the door and pushed Laura out. Then she locked the door.

Laura went into the forest. It was very cold, and she had no coat. She went on and on until she came to a great fire.

Twelve old men sat around the fire. Each was wrapped in a great cloak. Three were in cloaks that looked like the leaves of spring. Three were in yellow like the golden grain of summer.Three were in white like the snow of winter. And three wore cloaks like the grapes of autumn.

Each one of the old men held a long wand in his hand.

“Why have you come here? ”said one of them to Laura.

“I am looking for violets.”said Laura.

“Violets in winter! ”cried the old man, “This is no time for violets. Go home and wait for spring.”

“Oh, I cannot go home unless I take some violets to my sister! ”said Laura, “Can you not help me? ”

“This is our work, ”said the old men in the cloaks like the leaves of spring. They waved their wands over the fire, and the air became soft and warm. The grass grew green, and violets peeped out from it, for spring had come.

Laura picked a great bunch of violets. “Oh, thank you, thank you! ”she said to the old men.

As she spoke, the three old men in white waved their wands over the fire, and it was winter again. Snow covered the ground, and a cold wind blew.

Then Laura ran back to the little hut and gave the violets to Clara.

But the violets did not make Clara happy. She did not even put them into water to keep them fresh. She sat by the fire, and tore the pretty flowers to pieces, one by one.

II

The next day Clara was as fretful and cross as ever.

“There is nothing but snow, snow, snow, ”she said to the old woman, “I wish I had some strawberries. Make Laura get me some ripe, red strawberries.”

“Get strawberries in winter! ”said Laura. “How can I do that? Come with me. Let us run and jump about in the snow. Then you will learn to like it. You will get warm and rosy.”

“Do as your sister tells you, Laura. Get her some strawberries.”said the old woman, crossly. She pushed her out and locked the door.

Again Laura went into the forest. Again she found the twelve old men around the great fire.

“Why have you come back? ”they said.

“I am looking for strawberries this time, ”said Laura.

“Strawberries in winter! ”cried the old men, “Go home and wait for summer.”

“Oh, I cannot go home until I find the berries. I am afraid to go back without them. Please help me, ”said Laura.

“This is our work, ”said the men in the golden cloaks. They waved their long wands over the fire.

Then the ice and the snow melted. The air became very warm. Flowers bloomed, and birds sang. Many little plants grew among the thick grass. White flowers covered the plants and turned to bright red berries.

Laura filled her apron with the red berries.

“Oh, thank you, thank you! ”she said to the old men.

Then the three old men in white waved their wands over the fire. Again snow and ice covered everything. Laura ran home and gave the berries to Clara.

Clara did not even thank her sister, and she was just as cross as ever.

III

The next morning Clara took her old place by the fire. The snow was falling fast. Laura was very busy. She made the beds, washed the dishes, and swept the floor. She sang as she worked.

“I want something, ”said Clara, “I don't know what I want, but I want something! I hate winter.”

“Try to be happy, ”said Laura, “Let us go out to play in the snow. Let us make snow-balls and see how far we can throw them.”

“I do not want to make snow-balls, ”said Clara, “You shall get some bright red apples. Get me a whole apronful of them.”

“Go out and get the apples! ”said the old woman, “Be quick about it! How can you talk about snow-balls? You know that your sister does not like snow.”She pushed her out and locked the door.

So Laura went again to the great fire. When she saw the twelve old men she began to cry.

“How can I ask them for anything more? ”she said to herself.

But they were sorry for her. “What is it now, dear child? ”they asked.

“I must find some ripe, red apples, ”said Laura, “I dare not go home without them.”

“This is our work, ”said the old men in cloaks like the grapes of autumn. They waved their wands over the fire. The ice and snow were gone.

Bright leaves were falling from the trees. Nuts were ripe. Laura saw an apple tree covered with rosy fruit.

She shook the tree, and a few apples fell. She shook it again, but no more came down; so she gathered the apples into her apron.

“It is not an apronful, ”she said, “but I cannot ask for more.”She thanked the old men for their kindness to her.

Then she hurried through the forest to the little hut and gave all the apples to her sister.

“You have not brought me an apronful! ”said the cross child, “You have been eating them yourself. Where did you get them? ”

Laura told her about the old men and the great fire.

“Come with me, ”said Clara to the old woman, “We will get all the apples on the tree. Laura shall have none of them.”

IV

Clara and the old woman dressed themselves warmly and went into the forest.

At last they reached the place where the twelve old men sat around the fire.

“Why have you come here? ”asked one of them, just as he had asked Laura.

“That is my business, ”said Clara, “But if you must know, I came to get some ripe, red apples.”

“This is not the season for apples, ”said the old men, “This is winter.”

“How silly you are! ”said the old woman. “Tell this poor child where to find apples. You know all about it, because you told her sister. Be quick. Don't keep us waiting in the cold. ”

The twelve old men looked very angry. Then the three in white cloaks stood up and waved their wands.

The fire went out. The snow fell fast. The wind blew fiercely and shook the trees. The branches snapped and fell.

Clara and the old woman turned to go back, but they were blinded by the thick snow. They could not see the path and they were lost in the forest. They never found their own home again. They wandered far, far away.

Laura was left alone in the little hut.

But the twelve old men never forgot her. For they were the Twelve Months. The three men in white stopped up the cracks in the little hut with snow, so that the cold wind could not get in.

The three men in yellow filled her barn with hay and grain for her horse and cow and chickens.

The three men in cloaks like grapes stored her cellar with apples and potatoes and turnips and beets to last through the long winter.

She was always gentle and kind, and her face was as bright as a day in spring.

Then all the people said, “The Twelve Months love our dear Laura, for when she has winter at the door, she has summer in the barn, autumn in the cellar, and spring in her heart.”

(Bohemian Tale)

Word list

hut: a very small house

fretful: angry looking

cloak: a loose piece of clothing

bunch: many together

You Practice

A) Answer the following questions.

1) Why did the old woman always let Clara do as she pleased?

2) Why did Laura let the old woman and Clara treat her this way?

3) How did Laura reply to Clara wanting violets?

4) Why were the old men by the great fire in groups of three?

5) Why did the old men help Laura each time she needed help?

6) Why did the old woman and Clara go into the forest?

7) Why didn't the old men give the old woman and Clara what they wanted?

B) What came first? Put these events from the story in the order in which they happened from 1 to 7.

_____ Laura first meets the twelve men.

_____ The apples did not satisfy Clara, so she and the old woman went to get more.

_____ Clara and Laura moved in with an old woman after their parents died.

_____ Clara sent Lara to go find some violets.

_____ The twelve old men never forgot Laura and always took care of her.

_____ Clara and the old woman never found their home again.

_____ Laura walked to the twelve men to ask for strawberries.

C) True or false? Read these sentences carefully. Write true or false for each one.

1) _____ Clara and the old woman were mean to Laura.

2) _____ The twelve old men were all dressed the same way.

3) _____ Clara and the old woman got many apples from the old men.

4) _____ The twelve old men forgot about Laura.

5) _____ The twelve old men sat around a fire.