Diamonds and Toads
Once upon a time, a widow had two daughters. The eldest resembled her mother in both looks and temperament—both were disagreeable and proud. The youngest, however, took after her late father in courtesy and sweetness, and was exceptionally beautiful. The mother doted on the eldest but despised the youngest, forcing her to eat in the kitchen and work constantly, including fetching water from a distant fountain twice daily.
One day at the fountain, a poor old woman asked the youngest for a drink. The girl kindly rinsed her pitcher, drew clear water, and helped the woman drink. The woman, who was a fairy in disguise, rewarded her: "For your kindness, with every word you speak, a flower or jewel shall fall from your mouth."
Upon returning home, the girl apologized to her scolding mother, and as she spoke, roses, pearls, and diamonds tumbled from her lips. Astonished, the mother demanded an explanation and heard the story amidst a shower of diamonds.
Greedy, the mother sent her favored eldest daughter, Fanny, to the fountain with the same instructions. Fanny went grudgingly, taking a silver tankard. At the fountain, she encountered a gloriously dressed lady (the same fairy) who asked for water. Fanny replied rudely: "Am I here to serve you? I suppose this tankard is for your ladyship? Drink if you fancy."
The fairy responded, "Since you are so ill-mannered, I give you this gift: with every word you speak, a snake or a toad shall come from your mouth."
When Fanny returned home and spoke to her mother, vipers and toads sprang from her mouth. Enraged, the mother blamed the youngest and tried to beat her. The youngest fled into the nearby forest.
There, she was found by a king's son returning from hunting. He saw her beauty and the pearls and diamonds from her mouth. After hearing her story, he fell in love, valuing her gift more than any dowry, and took her to his palace to marry her.
As for the eldest sister, she became so despised that even her mother cast her out. Wandering alone and unwelcome, she eventually went to a corner of the woods and died.