There was once a poor woodcutter and his wife who longed for a child. After many years, they had a little girl. The child grew up, and she was a good child, who brought much joy to the woodcutter and his wife.

Now the time came when the girl needed to find a trade, so the woodcutter apprenticed her to a baker. But the girl burned everything. When the baker could stand her burning ways no longer, he sent the girl back to her father.

So the woodcutter apprenticed her to a tailor, but she had no skill with a needle. And one day while she was working on a costly gown for a great duchess, she pricked her finger with the needle and drops of blood fell on the fine fabric. So the tailor also sent the girl back to her father.

Then the woodcutter apprenticed her as a cleaning lady, and although the girl could do the work, she had a practical bent to her. And so, after cleaning the glasses and plates, she would leave them on the counter, where they could more easily be reached. This greatly vexed the woman who the girl worked for, so she also sent the girl back to her woodcutter father.

The father could do nothing else for his daughter, but gave her some food, enough for several days, and sent her out into the world that she might find her own way in it. So the girl set out and journeyed for many days. Her path led her to a large forest, which she journeyed into. However, before she had reached the other side of the forest, she ate the last of the food that her father had given her. And she was very hungry.

But the girl heard a bird chirping every so mournfully, so she followed the sound until she came to a clearing in which a songbird was pacing, while chirping, "oh my poor babies; oh, my poor babies." The girl, who had a kind heart, asked the songbird what was the matter with her babies. "Alas," said the bird, "my nest was blown out of the tree by a strong wind with my babies still in it. And I cannot return it to the tree."

"Do not worry, little bird," said the girl. "I will return your nest and your babies." So the songbird showed her where the nest was, and the girl carefully picked it up as the baby birds were still yet in their eggs. Then she nimbly climbed the tree, for she had played with the boys when she was young, and replaced the nest, much to the delight of the songbird.

And so the girl journeyed on, and was exceedingly hungry. And as she looked for some food to eat, she came across a fox whose leg was caught in a hunter's trap. "Release me from the trap," said the fox, "and I will show you some berries and roots that you can eat." So the girl released the fox, and it led her to a place where there were berries and roots. After she had eaten some, the girl turned to look for the fox, but it had gone for foxes are not fond of human company.

When the girl had eaten her fill, she traveled onward once more. And as she traveled, she heard a bird pecking away at a log and beneath that she heard ever so faintly, a voice calling for help. As she got closer, she saw that a big, black crow was trying to enlarge a hole in a log in order to get at a little worm that was hiding in it and crying out for help. The girl ran to the crow, flapping her skirts, and scared the crow away. Then she carefully retrieved the little worm from its hiding place and put him on the leaf of a bush.

The girl continued traveling and eventually found herself in the King's town. And was able to finally find a position as a scribe's assistant. It was her duty to carry the parchment, sharpen the quills, and other such tasks for the scribe. And she lived there in a little room attached to the scribe's house.

One day a proclamation was made, saying that on the King's birthday, every maiden in the land was to come before the King and sing for him. And whoever pleased the King with her singing would be given three silver apples, but if the King were not pleased, the maiden would have to forfeit her life.

It was not that the King had a bad heart, but the Queen mother wished to have the kingdom for herself. So she had devised this plan to rid the land of maidens who the King might consider for his wife.

When the girl heard of the proclamation, she was sore distressed. She was just a simple woodcutter's daughter and had never been skilled in song. On the night before the King's birthday, she lay across her bed in her little room and cried. But as she did so, she heard a tapping at the window, and looking up, she saw the songbird outside of her window. So she opened it and let the bird in.

"Why do you weep so?" asked the songbird.

"Alas," said the girl. "The King has made a proclamation that tomorrow on his birthday, each maiden in the land must sing for him. If he is pleased with her, he will give her three silver apples, but if he is not pleased, she will lose her life. And I am but a poor woodcutter's daughter; I know nothing of singing."

"Do not fret," said the songbird. "For I will teach you how to sing so that it sounds like the babbling of the brook and the wind dancing through the trees." And so the songbird taught the woodcutter's daughter how to sing the most marvelously, so that when she sang before the King the next day, he was amazed at her singing and how it soared like a bird in flight. But before he could give her the three silver apples as promised, she disappeared from the palace.

A year passed, and when the time came for the King's next birthday, he made another proclamation, again at the prompting of the Queen Mother, who still desired the kingdom for her own. The proclamation stated that every maiden in the land was to appear before the King on his birthday and read a poem to him. If the poem pleased him, she would be given three golden apples; but if the poem did not please him, she would have to give up her life.

Once again, the night before the King's birthday the girl was in her room crying, for she did not know how to write a poem. She only carried things for the scribe, but he did not teach her anything about writing. And while she was yet crying, she heard a faint scratching at her door. When she opened it, there was the fox, who asked her, "Why do you cry?"

"Alas," she said. "I am but a poor woodcutter's daughter and the King has proclaimed that every maiden in the land is to read a poem before him on his birthday tomorrow. If he is pleased, he will give her three golden apples; but if he is not pleased, she must give up her life. And I know nothing of poetry, so I will surely die on the morrow."

"Do not fret," said the fox. "For I will write a poem for you and teach you how to deliver it, for we foxes are cunning and are good at such things." So the fox spent the night teaching the girl how to write and to speak.

And on the morrow, when the girl appeared before the king, he had never heard a poem so marvelous. And he realized that his was the same girl that had sung so beautifully the year before. But before he could give the three golden apples, she once again disappeared, as she had the previous year.

But the King desired to know who this amazing girl might be, so he sent his servants throughout the land in search of her. And when she was found to be the scribe's assistant, the King called her before him and gave her a position in his own household.

The following year, as the King's next birthday drew near, he sent word to the girl that she was to appear before him on his birthday and sing a poem that she had written, and that it was to be the most marvelous poem and song that had ever been heard. Otherwise, she would be put to death. The girl grew troubled when she heard this, but she tried to remember what the fox had taught her. But it was to no avail, for she could not create a poem of any sort. And as the King's birthday grew nearer, she fretted so much that she became ill, so that on the King's birthday, she could not even rise from her bed, but had to send word to the King that she was too ill to appear before him.

The King accepted this, but the Queen Mother said slanderous things about the girl to the King. He, however, turned a deaf ear to her sayings.

In the following year as the King's birthday once again drew near, the King again sent word to the girl that she was to appear before him on his birthday and sing a poem which she had written, which was to be the most marvelous that had ever been written. Otherwise she would die. Again, the girl worried and fretted so much because she could not write a poem that she again fell ill and had to send word to the King that she was too ill to rise from her bed.

The Queen Mother once again poisoned the King against the girl, and this time he listened to her. But instead of having the girl put to death, he instead had her thrown into prison. And the girl was in the cell when the King's next birthday came, and for the next. As the King's third birthday since she had been cast into the prison approached, the girl received word that on the King's birthday she was to be put to death.

On the night before the King's birthday, the girl was crying in her cell, knowing that on the next day she would die. But as she sat there crying, she heard a faint voice ask her why she was weeping so. And as she looked, she saw there beside her the worm that she had saved from the crow.

"Alas," she said, "tomorrow is the King's birthday, and I am to be put to death."

"Do not fear," said the worm, "for you will not die." And then the girl heard a noise at the window. Looking out, she saw the fox and the songbird, and between them they carried the most beautiful gown, so beautiful that none of its equal had ever been seen by the sun. For the worm that the girl had saved from the crow was not an ordinary worm, but it was a silk worm and had been working these five years to create the dress of surpassing beauty.

So the fox and the bird brought the dress into the cell, that the girl might put it on. And the fox wrote the finest poem that had even been heard, and the songbird created music to accompany it, music that sounded like wind through rushes. And when all was prepared, and they had taught the girl, the worm crawled into the keyhole and unlocked the door to the cell for them.

The girl when to the grand hall, where all the lords and ladies of the land were celebrating the King's birthday. And she stood back in a corner, just watching. But the King's attention was caught by the beautiful gown, and he sent a servant to bring the girl to him that he might talk with her. But the girl did not come. So he sent another servant; and again the girl did not come. And as he was about to send a third servant, the King noticed that the girl had gone over to the orchestra and was giving them additional music. Then she came to the center of the room, and the King realized that it was the same girl who had sung so beautifully and had composed the poem. Then the orchestra began playing, and the girl sang the poem. The King had never heard anything so marvelous before. And he gave her the three silver apples and the three golden apples and then gave her three apples of ruby with stems made of onyx.

And the King and the girl were wed. But as they left the church, with the Queen Mother following behind them, the crow came down and landed on the head of the Queen Mother, pulling one hair after another out of her head until she was bald.