Blanche and Rose lived in a cabin with their mother. Blanche was a kind girl. Rose was a mean girl. Blanche had to do all of the chores and work for her mother and her sister.

Blanche went to fetch water. She met an old woman. The woman asked her for some water. Blanche said, "Yes, aunty," and she gave the woman some water.

Blanche went home. Her sister and her mom scolded her for not bringing any water. Blanche ran away in to the woods.

In the woods Blanche saw the old woman. The old woman invited Blanche to her home. She made Blanche promise that she wouldn't laugh at anything she saw.

They walked to the woman's house. There was a cow with two horns and chickens of different colors. Blanche kept her promise and did not laugh.

They went into the cabin. The old woman took off her head and put it on her knees. She combed and brushed her hair, then put her head back on. She looked in the mirror and said, "Um-m-m-m-hum!" Blanche lit the fire and made dinner with a bone and rice.

After dinner they went outside. They saw rabbits dancing the Virginia Reel. Blanche got tired and fell asleep, z-z-z-z.

In the morning the woman told Blanche that she should go home. She said that Blanche could go to the hen house and take any eggs that said, "Take me." She told her to leave the ones that said "Don't take me." Blanche went to the henhouse and saw gold and silver and jeweled eggs. She saw some plain ones, too. The plain eggs said, "Take me, " so she did. She wished she could take a jeweled egg, but she didn't.

On the way home Blanche threw the eggs over her left shoulder, like the woman told her. Jewels, coins, and a carriage with a horse appeared. Blanche put the lovely, eXpensive things into the carriage and went home.

Her mother and sister were amazed. They treated Blanche nicely. While Blanche was sleeping, her mother told Rose that the next day she needed to go find the old woman so that they could get the same jewels and fine dresses.

The next morning Rose found the old woman and asked to see her house. The woman had Rose promise not to laugh at anything she saw.
When they got to the cabin, Rose laughed at the two headed cow and the funny-looking chickens. She complained about starting the fire and making dinner.

In the morning when the woman lifted her head off, Rose grabbed the head and told the woman that she wouldn't give it back until the woman gave her presents like the ones that Blanche got.

The woman told Rose to go to the hen house and take the eggs that said, "Take me," and to leave the eggs that said, "Don't take me." Rose went to the hen house and took the jeweled eggs that were saying, "Don't take me."

Rose ran into the woods. She threw the eggs over her right shoulder. Wolves, frogs, yellow jackets, and snakes came out. Her mother tried to rescue Rose with a broom, but she couldn't chase the creatures away. Rose and her mother ran to woods with the animals following them.

When they came back to the house, Blanche had left to live in the city like a grand lady. They tried to find the old woman's cabin, but they never could.