Once upon a time, under this same blue sky, there was a kind girl with bright, laughing eyes. Her mother had gone to live among the stars years before, and she lived with her father in a small house. Every morning she scattered bread and water for the sparrows.
One day her father brought home a new wife, who had a spoilt, lazy daughter of her own. They gave the kind girl hard work, but she kept smiling and singing, and never complained.
The stepmother had an old, thin yellow cow. Every day she sent the girl to the fields with the cow, a little dry bread and a handful of cotton. "Don't come home until the cotton is spun into thread." The girl took her spindle and quietly spun.
The cotton was a great deal and her hands were small, and two tears slid down her cheek. Suddenly the yellow cow lifted its head. "Give me the cotton. Take thread, not trouble." The cow ate the cotton and gave back soft white thread.
One day a quick, playful wind carried off a piece of cotton and dropped it into an old well. "Go down," said the cow gently, "but be kind." The girl took a fresh breath and climbed down.
At the bottom sat an old, tired div. The girl greeted him warmly and was not afraid. "Comb my tangled hair a little," he said. She sat down and combed it kindly, then swept his house clean.
The div was glad of all this kindness. "Dip your head in the bright water of the well." She lowered her head into the water, and when she came up everything turned silver and bright. A small moon was shining on her forehead.
The div laughed and gave her a tiny star too, which settled on her chin and sparkled. Light and happy, she went home, and from that night they called her Mah-Pishuni, Moon-Forehead. Her light filled the whole small room.
The stepmother turned white as chalk with envy and sent her own daughter straight to the well. "You go and bring back a moon too." The spoilt girl went down frowning and grumbling, her heart full of laziness and bad temper.
"Comb my hair a little," said the div. "Ugly hair. I can't be bothered," she shouted. She did not sweep and did not say a warm hello. The div sighed and quietly gave her something. When she came out, a small pumpkin had sprouted on her head.
One day a young prince passed along the lane and saw a silver light falling from a window onto the snow. He looked up and stood still. Mah-Pishuni stood at the window, smiling, and the light of her moon poured over the whole snowy lane.
The prince knocked and said hello. He took Mah-Pishuni and her kind father to the palace, where there was a celebration full of music, sweets and lamps. The yellow cow grazed happily beside the garden. And Mah-Pishuni stayed the same kind, laughing girl she had always been.