The Little Girl Sold with the Pears facts for kids

The Little Girl Sold with the Pears is a classic Italian fairy tale. It was collected by Italo Calvino in his famous book, Italian Folktales. This story comes from the Piedmont region of Italy. Another version of the tale, called "The Girl in the Basket," was shared by Ruth Manning-Sanders in her book, A Book of Ogres and Trolls.

The Story of the Pear Girl

A Special Delivery

Once, a man needed to pay his rent to the king. His rent was four baskets full of pears. But one year, his pear trees did not grow enough fruit. He only had three and a half baskets of pears. To make up the last half, he put his youngest daughter into the fourth basket.

When the baskets arrived at the king's castle, the royal servants found the girl. She was hiding among the pears and eating them! The king's staff decided to keep her. They gave her a job working as a servant in the castle.

Love and Jealousy

As the girl grew older, she became very beautiful. The king's son, the prince, fell in love with her. This made the other maidservants in the castle very jealous. They did not like that the prince loved the pear girl.

In some versions of the story, the jealous servants told the king a lie. They said the girl had boasted she could wash all the castle's laundry in just one day. The king believed them and told the girl she had to do it. With the prince's help, she managed to finish the huge task!

The Witch's Treasure

After that, the maids told the king another lie. They claimed the girl had boasted she could steal a treasure from a powerful witch. The king insisted that she go and do it. This was a very dangerous task!

The prince secretly told the girl what she needed to do. He gave her special items to help her: some grease, bread, and millet.

A Clever Plan

The girl started her journey. First, she met three women at a bakery. They were sweeping out their ovens with their own hair. The girl gave them the millet.

Next, she came across some fierce guard dogs. She threw the bread to them, and they let her pass. Then, she reached a red river. Using a special charm the prince had given her, she crossed it safely. Finally, she arrived at the witch's house. She used the grease to oil the noisy hinges of the witch's door.

She then bravely went inside and took the treasure chest. As she left, the chest began to speak, trying to warn the witch. But the door, with its greased hinges, refused to slam shut on her. The river would not drown her, and the dogs would not eat her. The women at the bakery, grateful for the millet, would not bake her. She escaped safely with the treasure!

A Hidden Prince

Curious, the girl opened the treasure chest. Inside, she found a golden hen with her chicks, or sometimes, musical instruments that played on their own! But the prince (or a wise old woman) quickly put them back inside.

The prince then told her what to ask for as her reward. He told her to ask the king for the coal chest from the cellar. When the king brought the chest up, the prince was hidden inside it! This was their secret plan. With the prince now revealed, they were able to get married and live happily ever after.