Grimms' Fairy Tales

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'I am a poor child that has neither father nor mother left; have pity on
me and take me with you.' Then they said, 'Yes, Miss Cat-skin, you will
do for the kitchen; you can sweep up the ashes, and do things of that
sort.' So they put her into the coach, and took her home to the king's
palace. Then they showed her a little corner under the staircase, where
no light of day ever peeped in, and said, 'Cat-skin, you may lie and
sleep there.' And she was sent into the kitchen, and made to fetch wood
and water, to blow the fire, pluck the poultry, pick the herbs, sift the
ashes, and do all the dirty work.

Thus Cat-skin lived for a long time very sorrowfully. 'Ah! pretty
princess!' thought she, 'what will now become of thee?' But it happened
one day that a feast was to be held in the king's castle, so she said to
the cook, 'May I go up a little while and see what is going on? I will
take care and stand behind the door.' And the cook said, 'Yes, you may
go, but be back again in half an hour's time, to rake out the ashes.'
Then she took her little lamp, and went into her cabin, and took off the