User:Unclothed/a shook the tree

Month September took the high seat upon the stone and swung the club over the fire. The fire began to burn with a red flame, the snow began to melt. But the trees were not covered with leaves; the leaves were wavering down one after the other, and the cold wind was driving them to and fro over the yellowing ground. This time Maru?a did not see so many flowers. Only red pinks were blooming on the hillside, and meadow saffrons were flowering in the valley. High fern and thick ivy were growing under the young. But Maru?a was only looking for red apples, and at last she saw an apple-tree with red apples hanging high among its branches.

“Shake the tree at once, Maru?a!”  the month.

Right gladly Maru?, and one apple fell down. She shook it a second time, and another apple fell down.

“Now, Maru?a, run home quickly!” shouted the month.

Maru?a obeyed at once. She picked up [11]the apples, thanked the months with all her heart, and ran  home.

Holena and the stepmother  when they saw Maru?a bringing the apples. They ran to open the door for her, and she gave them two apples.

“Where did you get them?” asked Holena.

“There are plenty of them in the forest on the high mountain.”

“And why didn’t you bring more? Or did you eat them on the way home?” said Holena harshly.

“Alas! sister dear, I didn’t eat a single one. But when I had shaken the tree once, one apple fell down, and when I shook it a second time,  apple fell down, and they wouldn’t let me shake it again. They shouted to me to go straight home,” protested Maru?a.

Holena began to curse her: “May you be struck to death by lightning!” and she was going to beat her.

Maru?a began to cry bitterly, and she prayed to God to take her to Himself, or she would be killed by her wicked sister and her stepmother. She ran away into the kitchen.

Greedy Holena stopped cursing and began [12]to eat the apple. It tasted so  that she told her mother she had never tasted anything so nice in all her life. The stepmother liked it too. When they had finished, they wanted some more.