but the wife answered : ' if your daughter is wet already , it is all the more reason that she should go and get the axe . besides , she is a great strong girl , and a little rain will not hurt her , while my daughter would be sure to catch a bad cold . ' by long experience the man knew there was no good saying any more , and with a sigh he told the poor girl she must return to the forest for the axe . ' that is a good girl , ' said one ; ' i really was too weak to stretch out a wing before she came . i should like to do something to show how grateful i am . ' ' well , let us give her a wreath of flowers that will never fade as long as she wears it , ' cried another . ' and let the tiniest singing birds in the world sit amongst the flowers , ' rejoined the third . ' yes , that will do beautifully , ' said the first . and when the girl stepped into her cottage a wreath of rosebuds was on her head , and a crowd of little birds were singing unseen . the father , who was sitting by the fire , thought that , in spite of her muddy clothes , he had never seen his daughter looking so lovely ; but the stepmother and the other girl grew wild with envy . ' what in the world is the matter ? ' asked the birds sleepily . ' that is our secret , ' said the doves . meanwhile the girl had reached home crosser than ever ; but as soon as her mother heard her lift the latch of the door she ran out to hear her adventures . ' well , did you get the wreath ? ' cried she . ' dirty creatures ! ' answered her daughter . ' do n't speak to me like that ! what do you mean ? ' asked the mother again . ' dirty creatures ! ' repeated the daughter , and nothing else could she say . then the woman saw that something evil had befallen her , and turned in her rage to her stepdaughter . ' you are at the bottom of this , i know , ' she cried ; and as the father was out of the way she took a stick and beat the girl till she screamed with pain and went to bed sobbing . if the poor girl 's life had been miserable before , it was ten times worse now , for the moment her father 's back was turned the others teased and tormented her from morning till night ; and their fury was increased by the sight of her wreath , which the doves had placed again on her head . the day after her marriage the bride sent a messenger , bearing handsome presents to her father , and telling him of the good fortune which had befallen her . as may be imagined , the stepmother and her daughter were so filled with envy that they grew quite ill , and had to take to their beds , and nobody would have been sorry it they had never got up again ; but that did not happen . at length , however , they began to feel better , for the mother invented a plan by which she could be revenged on the girl who had never done her any harm . everything fell out exactly as the woman had hoped . by the aid of her magic mirror the witch beheld the new princess walking in her gardens in a dress of green silk , and in a few minutes had produced a mask so like her , that very few people could have told the difference . however , she counselled the woman that when her daughter first wore it - for that , of course , was what she intended her to do - she had better pretend that she had a toothache , and cover her head with a lace veil . the woman thanked her and paid her well , and returned to her hut , carrying the mask under her cloak . in a few days she heard that a great hunt was planned , and the prince would leave the palace very early in the morning , so that his wife would be alone all day . this was a chance not to be missed , and taking her daughter with her she went up to the palace , where she had never been before . the princess was too happy in her new home to remember all that she had suffered in the old one , and she welcomed them both gladly , and gave them quantities of beautiful things to take back with them . at last she took them down to the shore to see a pleasure boat which her husband had had made for her ; and here , the woman seizing her opportunity , stole softly behind the girl and pushed her off the rock on which she was standing , into the deep water , where she instantly sank to the bottom . then she fastened the mask on her daughter , flung over her shoulders a velvet cloak , which the princess had let fall , and finally arranged a lace veil over her head . 
how did the wife and wife's daughter treat the man's daughter ?
badly .
terribly .