TLDR;
The story revolves around the contrasts between two daughters – one lazy and self-indulgent, while the other is diligent and hardworking. The diligent girl, despite facing mistreatment, helps various needy characters on her journey and is ultimately rewarded for her kindness and perseverance. In contrast, the lazy girl, who refuses to help others, faces the consequences of her actions and ultimately learns that laziness yields no rewards.
- The lazy girl is pampered and becomes indolent.
- The diligent girl faces challenges but remains resilient and helpful, leading to her eventual success.
The Lazy Girl and The Diligent Girl [0:03]
In a distant village, a husband and wife live with their daughters from previous marriages. The wife dotes on her own daughter, making her indulge in laziness. Meanwhile, she mistreats her stepdaughter, forcing her to do all the household chores. The stepdaughter remains obedient despite her ill-treatment. Her father, who is unwell, wishes he could do more for her, but she comforts him, promising to work and care for him. Realizing the stepdaughter’s potential, the wife plans to send her away to work for a wealthy family, hoping to benefit from her earnings.
The Journey of the Diligent Girl [3:08]
The diligent girl sets off the next morning to find work. Her stepmother gives her no food or water for the journey, yet the girl remains determined. During her travels, she encounters a talking tree, a dying vine, a broken oven, and a well, all of whom ask for her help. She diligently helps each one, performing various tasks like trimming branches, ploughing, mending cracks, and cleaning without hesitation. Each character expresses their gratitude as she continues her quest for work.
The Seven Fairies [7:25]
As night falls, she arrives at a house inhabited by seven fairies who offer her work cleaning six of their rooms, with strict instructions not to enter the seventh room. She follows their orders diligently for a year, earning a decent sum of money. When the fairies ask her why she was not curious about the seventh room, she explains her dedication to her duty. Pleased with her honesty, they reward her by leading her to the seventh room, which is filled with gold and silver coins. She joyfully rolls in the coins, collecting a large fortune before heading home.
The Reward of Kindness [9:30]
On her way back, she meets the characters she helped along her journey. The dog, now with long pearls instead of hair, offers her as many as she wants. She also benefits from the well, oven, vine, and tree, collecting water, bread, wine, and pears to take home for her father. Upon reaching home, she finds her father healthy and overjoyed to see her. They embrace, and the stepmother realizes she cannot benefit from her daughter’s newfound wealth.
The Fate of the Lazy Girl [15:50]
Seeing the success of her stepsister, the lazy girl is pushed by her mother to seek work with wealthy families, hoping she can bring home even greater riches. However, when she refuses to help characters she meets, including a tree, vine, oven, well, and dog, she faces dire consequences, finding nothing but pain instead of reward when she eventually enters the fairy house. Ultimately, she discovers the bitter truth that laziness brings no benefits, while her hardworking sister lives happily ever after, emphasizing the values of diligence and kindness over idleness.
