Long Time Ago

this is a story i heard a long time ago:

there was a young girl who lived with her stepmother and stepsister. (no, she was not cinderella). the stepmother was very wicked and ordered the girl to walk for a mile or more on a hot summer’s day to fetch a pale of well water. the girl didn’t argue, and did what she was told.

when she arrived at the well she noticed an old woman sitting near to it. the old lady asked the girl if she would allow her to drink from her pale after she filled it with fresh water. the girl hesitated at first, she didn’t want to get in trouble, but the woman looked so frail and the girl felt sorry for her.

she sat down with the old woman and let her drink as much as she needed. the woman thanked her for her generosity and said she would be truly blessed. the girl filled her pale once more, and started her journey home.

when she arrived it was very late and her stepmother greeted her with a temper. the girl was quick to apologize. but when she opened her mouth to speak, something amazing happened. for every vowel her lips spoke, a diamond, ruby, or rare flower fell from her mouth.

the stepmother was amazed and asked her how this was possible. but the girl wasn’t entirely sure. then she remembered the old woman, and what she said about being “truly blessed”. she told her stepmother who in turn told her stepsister.

the next morning the stepmother ordered her own daughter to take the pale once more to the well. her daughter whined and complained the whole way there. when she arrived the woman was once again at the well.

“young lady i am thirsty, and too weak to turn the handle on the well. could i please share your water with you?” the stepsister was disgusted at the fact that the old woman would dare to speak to her. so she ignored her. the woman asked again, “please child, i am very thirsty”.

the step sister, who was very much like her mother, lost her temper and shouted at the old woman to go away and leave her alone. the old woman then revealed herself to be a witch and told the girl that she would be cursed due to her lack of charity.

when the girl arrived home her mother was there to greet her. she asked her what gift had been bestowed upon her, but the girl wouldn’t speak. the mother harassed her for hours, and eventually grew very stern. the girl still had nothing to say. her mother began to say things, terrible things. things she never said to her stepdaughter; she was now saying to her own daughter.

the girl could take it no longer and in her defense demanded that her mother go away. but she opened her lips to speak, something disgusting happened. for every syllable her mouth spoke, two flies would fly out of her lips, (or snakes, or toads, or spiders).

sorry, i got carried away, (i love to write). i was only curious to know if anyone else had ever heard the story.
to truthbetold:
thank you that was the version i knew as a child.
i remember the prince and the fact that the other mother died.
i “add-libb’d” the version above.