Grandfather Tales by Richard Chase

Author:Richard Chase
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Then the old woman reached in her apron pocket, took out a mouse, and an old piece of leather and a rawhide string, two scraps of shoe-leather, and an old piece of rag. She put the mouse down before the door, laid that chunk of leather on it, dropped that rawhide string over its head, says:

“Co-up, little mare!

Whoa now! Whoa!”

—and there stood the finest little pied-ed mare you ever saw: pretty new saddle and bridle on it, and it was just as gentle as a girl ’uld want. Then that old witch-woman she knocked that piece of rag around this way and that, laid it on the bed; took the two scraps of leather, knocked them up a time or two, set ’em under the bed, says, “Now, Ashpet, you shut your eyes and wish for the dress and slippers you want to wear to meetin’.”

Ashpet shut her eyes and wished and when she opened ’em there was a pretty red dress stretched out on the coverlet, and under the bed were the prettiest red slippers—the littlest ’uns you ever saw. Then Ashpet she washed herself and put on her red dress and slippers.

“Now,” says the old woman, “quick as meetin’ breaks, you get back here and hide your horse in the bresh, and hide your dress and slippers, and put on your old ashy clothes again.”

Ashpet went ridin’ on up to the church-house, and tied her horse and walked in the door. Everybody saw her, but nobody knew who she was. Now the King’s son was there and he kept his eyes right on her. When meetin’ started breakin’ he followed Ashpet, and saw her get on her little mare and turn its head to go, so he jumped on his horse and took out after her. She paid no attention but he caught up with her directly, started talkin’ to her.

They rode on a piece, and then she eased off one of her slippers and kicked it in the bresh; rode on a little piece farther, says, “I’ve lost one of my slippers, sure’s the world! It must have dropped off in the road somewhere between here and the church-house.”

“I’ll get it for you,” he told her. “You wait here now.” And he turned his horse and went back. But time he was out of sight she galloped her little mare on in home, hid it in the woods, ran to the house and hid her dress and slipper, got her old ashy dress again and went to sweepin’ and dustin’.

That boy had a time findin’ her slipper but fin’lly he saw it there in the bresh, picked it up, and when he rode on back and found the girl gone he didn’t know what in the world to do.

Well, he took that little red slipper and went all over the country lookin’ for the one it would fit. Got down there where the old woman and the two girls lived at fin’lly; and when they saw him comin’ they grabbed Ashpet and run with her and stuck her under that washtub.

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