Once upon a time there was a widow who had two daughters: the eldest looked so much like her, in mood and face, that anyone who saw her, saw her mother. They were both so obnoxious and proud that it was impossible to live with them. The youngest, a true portrait of her father for her sweetness and politeness, was, moreover, one of the most beautiful girls ever seen. As people naturally love those who are like her, this mother was crazy about her eldest daughter and, at the same time, had a terrible aversion to her youngest. She made her eat in the kitchen and work without rest.
It was necessary, among other things, for the poor child to go twice a day to draw water from the spring, half a league away from the house, and to return with a large pitcher full. One day when the girl was at that fountain, a poor woman approached and asked her to give her a drink.
The relationship between the mother and the younger daughter was dreadful. For some reason, the mother neglected the girl. That is why the good mother in this case serves as a kindred spirit, a mother to her and for whom she would like to be a good daughter.