The Old Woman’s Daughter and

the Old Man’s Daughter

By Ion Creangă

Once upon a time there were an old man who married an old Once upon a time there were an old man who married an old woman, and each of them had one daughter. The old manwoman, and each of them had one daughter. The old man’’s daughter s daughter was beautiful, hardworking and kind, but she was forced to leavewas beautiful, hardworking and kind, but she was forced to leavehome because of the old woman and her daughter, who were lazy, home because of the old woman and her daughter, who were lazy, insincere and nagging. Before she left, the father told his dauginsincere and nagging. Before she left, the father told his daughter hter always to be the same, because that was the only way she would balways to be the same, because that was the only way she would be e happy with happy with herher lifelife..

After having lived lots of adventures, the old man’s daughter met “Saint Sunday”for whom she worked hardly, looking after the animals in her farm. When she had to leave, “Saint Sunday” asked her to choose a chest from her attic. The old man’s daughterchose the smallest one, but, to her great surprise, she came back home with a lot of treasures. Green with envy, the old woman’s daughter left home, too, but she didn’t want

While she was working for “Saint Sunday”, she didn’t look after her animals properly. However, she chose the biggest chest when she had to choose her payment, thinking it was full of money. But it wasn’t so: her greed was the cause of her death and her mother’s too – they were killed by some fierce animals locked in the chest she had chosen.