Odds and Ends (Grimm)
Division into chapters is editorial.
The lazy maiden and the industrious servant
In a household lived a maiden who possessed beauty but lacked diligence and care in her work. Her character flaws became most apparent when she engaged in spinning, a common domestic task of the time.
There was once on a time a maiden who was pretty, but idle and negligent. When she had to spin she was so out of temper that if there was a little knot in the flax...
Her impatience with the spinning process led to tremendous waste. Whenever she encountered even the smallest difficulty, such as a minor tangle in the material, she would react with explosive anger and pull out far more flax than necessary, carelessly scattering the discarded fibers on the ground around her workspace. This wasteful behavior demonstrated her lack of patience and poor work ethic.
Working in the same household was a servant who possessed entirely different qualities. This young woman observed the maiden's wasteful habits and saw opportunity where others saw only refuse.
...gathered together the bits of flax which were thrown away, cleaned them, span them fine, and had a beautiful gown made out of them for herself.
Through her careful work and resourcefulness, the servant transformed what appeared to be worthless scraps into something of great value and beauty. Her diligence and skill in cleaning and spinning the discarded flax demonstrated the stark contrast between her character and that of her mistress. While one wasted good materials through carelessness, the other created beauty from what was cast aside.
Meanwhile, the lazy maiden had attracted the attention of a young man who wished to marry her. The courtship progressed successfully, and wedding preparations began. The upcoming ceremony promised to be a significant social event, bringing together the community to celebrate what appeared to be a suitable match. However, fate had other plans for this union, as events on the wedding's eve would dramatically alter the course of these three lives.
The stage was set for a revelation that would expose the true nature of both women's characters and lead to an unexpected reversal of fortune.
The wedding eve revelation and reversal of fortune
On the evening before the wedding ceremony, festivities began as was customary. The industrious servant appeared at the celebration wearing her beautiful gown, the very dress she had crafted from the discarded flax. She danced with joy and merriment, her fine garment catching the attention of all who saw her graceful movements.
The bride-to-be observed the servant's joyful dancing and, perhaps feeling a mixture of jealousy and disdain, made a careless remark that would prove to be her undoing.
Ah, how that girl does jump about, dressed in my odds and ends.
This dismissive comment was overheard by the bridegroom, who had been observing the evening's festivities.
Curious about the meaning behind his bride's words, he questioned her about the statement. The maiden, perhaps not realizing the implications of her confession, explained that the servant's beautiful dress had been made from the flax she herself had thrown away during her spinning work. This revelation exposed not only her wasteful nature but also highlighted the servant's remarkable skill and resourcefulness.
The bridegroom's reaction was swift and decisive. Upon learning the truth about both women's characters - witnessing firsthand his intended bride's idleness and wastefulness contrasted with the poor servant's industriousness and skill - he made a momentous decision. He broke off his engagement to the lazy maiden and instead chose the hardworking servant as his wife. The tale concluded with this reversal of fortune, where virtue and industry were rewarded while laziness and waste led to loss. The servant's patience and diligence in transforming discarded materials into something beautiful ultimately transformed her own life, elevating her from servitude to marriage with a man who valued character over superficial beauty.