Betty and the Wood-Lady - Part Six

Betty’s mother was anxious. “What sort of spool did you bring home yesterday, Betty?”

“Why?”

Betty’s mother was shocked. “When you left for the woods, I started reeling the skein. I kept on reeling and the spool still was full.” Betty’s mother shook her head. “I have reeled in three skeins and the spool still remained full.” Betty’s mother looked anxious again. “I wondered to myself about what sort of evil spirit has spun this. Then the entire yarn vanished!” Betty’s mother finished looking shocked. 

Betty then told her mother everything.

Betty’s mother was astonished. “That was a wood-lady. At around mid-day or mid-night they come out to dance. If you had been a boy, then you would not have come out of her arms alive, because they would dance till there was breath in the boy’s body or would have tickled them to death!” Betty’s mother studied the girl. “But wood-ladies like girls and they often give rich presents to girls.” Betty’s mother sighed to herself. “If I had not had such wrong thoughts about the skein when I was reeling it, I would have had a room full of yarn by now.”

Adapted from Slavonic Folktales