The well at the world’s end

THE WELL AT THE WORLD’S END

(A Scottish folk-tale)

The author - There was once a King and a Queen. The King’s daughter was good-natured and everybody liked her. The Queen’s daughter was ill-natured and nobody liked her. The Queen hated the King’s daughter and did not want her to live with them. So she sent her to the Well at the World’s End to bring her a bottle of water, thinking that she would never return.

The Queen - ‘’You, stupid girl , go and bring water for me from the Well at the World’s End. Go!’’

The author - The King’s daughter took a bottle and went away. Far she went, till she came to a pony tied to a tree and the pony said to her

The pony - “Free me, my little girl and I’ll carry you over the river.”

The author - The King’s daughter freed the pony and it took her over the river. So she went farther than I can tell, till she came to the Well at the World’s End. The well was very deep and she couldn’t take water out of it. As she was looking down, she saw three dirty men’s heads. They looked up at her, and said

The first head - “Wash us, our little girl, and dry us with your clean apron.”

The author - She washed the three dirty heads, and dried them with her clean apron. Then the creatures took her bottle and brought the water for her.The three men’s heads said to each other.

The second head – ‘’ Wish brother, wish , what will you wish? ‘’

The third head - “If she was beautiful before, she’ll be ten times more beautiful now”

The first head - “Every time she speaks, a ruby, a diamond and a pearl will drop out of her mouth ”

The second head - “Every time she combs her hair, she’ll comb a piece of gold and a piece of silver out of it”

The author - The King’s daughter went home and now she was ten times nicer.The Queen was so angry, she didn’t know what to do. She decided to send her own daughter to the Well at the World’s End. She gave her a bottle and sent her to fill it with the water from the well.

The Queen’s daughter went on and on till she came to the pony tied

to the tree, and the pony said

The pony - “Free me, my little girl, and I’ll carry you over the river.”

The author - The Queen’s daughter didn’t free the pony and it didn’t carry her over the river. So the Queen’s daughter had to go on her bare feet and she could hardly walk at all. She went farther, till she came to the Well at the World’s End. But the well was so deep that she couldn’t take water out of it. As she sat there three men’s heads looked up at her and said

The first head - “Wash us, our little girl, and dry us with your clean apron.”

The author - But the Queen’s daughter did not wash their heads and so they did not bring water for her. They said to each other,

The second head – “Wish, brother, wish! What will you wish?”

The third head - “If she was ugly before, she’ll be ten times uglier now ”

The first head - “Every time she speaks, a frog will drop out of her mouth ”

The second head - “Every time she combs her hair, she’ll comb a peck of lice out of it”

The author - So the Queen’s daughter went home with an empty bottle. Nobody can say how angry the Queen was. Her daughter was ten times uglier now and the Queen had to send her daughter away from the Court.

ENDING - 4 PUPILS TELL THE MAIN IDEA OF THE TALE

PUPIL 1. -WHAT YOU WISH UPON OTHERS YOU WISH UPON YOURSELF.

PUPIL 2.- IF YOU DIG A HOLE FOR OTHERS YOU’RE SURE TO FALL IN IT YOURSELF.

PUPIL 3 – ALWAYS BE KIND AND DO YOUR BEST TO HELP OTHERS.

PUPIL 4 – THE KINDNESS ALWAYS WINS.