First Story
A little girl received a bowl of milk and bread each afternoon from her mother. She would sit in the yard to eat. One day, a snake crept from a crevice in the wall, dipped its head into her dish, and shared her meal. The girl delighted in this. If the snake was late, she would sing:
"Snake, snake, come swiftly,
Hither come, thou tiny thing,
Thou shalt have thy crumbs of bread,
Thou shalt refresh thyself with milk."
The snake would hurry to join her. In gratitude, it brought her beautiful gifts from its hidden treasures: bright stones, pearls, and golden toys. The snake, however, only drank the milk, leaving the breadcrumbs.
One day, the girl gently tapped the snake's head with her spoon, saying, "Eat the bread-crumbs as well, little thing." Her mother, standing in the kitchen, heard her talking. Seeing the snake, she rushed out with a log and killed the creature.
From that moment, the child changed. While the snake ate with her, she had grown strong and healthy. Now, she lost her rosy cheeks and wasted away. Soon, the night bird cried, and the redbreast gathered twigs for a funeral garland. Not long after, the child lay on her bier.
Second Story
An orphan girl sat spinning on the town wall when she saw a snake emerge from a hole below. Knowing snakes have a strong liking for blue silk handkerchiefs—the only surface they will crawl upon—she quickly spread one beside it.
The snake saw the handkerchief, retreated, then returned carrying a small golden crown, which it placed on the cloth before leaving. The girl picked up the crown; it glittered with delicate filigree work.
When the snake returned and found the crown gone, it crept to the wall and, in its grief, smote its head against the stone until it died. Had the girl left the crown, the snake would likely have brought more treasures from its hole.