Old Man Kerr lived deep in the woods in a run down log cabin with his three beautiful daughters: Mary Beth, Jessica and Grace.

Mary Beth, the oldest, never had time to do anything but sit around and brush her hair.

Jessica, the second daughter, was always in a hurry and let nothing get in her way.

Grace, the youngest daughter, was very kind and considerate of others. She was always willing to help someone in need.

One Saturday morning, Old Man Kerr went to Mary Beth, who was sitting at her dressing table brushing her long blond hair and said,"It is your turn to collect the honey from the bee hives."

"Not today," said Mary Beth. "Jason is coming over later. I must brush my hair until it's silky and smooth."

"It is your turn and you must go," said her father. "There will be plenty of time for you to get ready for Jason when you get back."

Mary Beth slammed the brush down on her dressing table and stomped out of the room.

"You would not make Grace go if she had something else to do even if it was her turn."

Out in the shed, Mary Beth gathered the buckets and netting to get the honey. As she walked down the narrow path towards the hives, an old woman approached her.

"Good morning," said the old woman in a scratchy sounding voice. "Would you be so kind as to help me thread this needle so I can finish sewing this dress? I can not see very good these days."

"I have far too much to do," said Mary Beth walking past the old woman.

"It is a special dress for a special girl," said the old woman."It is for the wedding of a princess."

"Let her sew it herself," said Mary Beth. "I simply do not have time."

"You are a foolish girl," the old woman screamed frightening Mary Beth as she backed away from the crazy old woman. Not looking where she was going, she backed right into the bee hives.

In seconds angry bees were swarming all over Mary Beth and stinging her. She threw down her buckets and netting as she ran for home.

A little later that same day, Old Man Kerr went to his second daughter, Jessica.

"Jessica," he said,"your sister Mary Beth has been badly stung by bees. She is nursing her stings and will not be able to collect the honey today."

"Now you want me to do it?" said Jessica. "I have soccer practice. Why can not Grace do it?"

"We need honey," said Old Man Kerr."Grace ia a bit young to go around a hive of angry bees."

"Fine," said Jessica kicking her soccer ball into her closet. "I will do it, but I must hurry."

"Make sure you put on the protective netting before you get close to the hives," said Old Man Kerr.

Jessica hurried along the same path that Mary Beth had taken earlier. She found the buckets and the netting Mary Beth had dropped. Remembering what her father had said, she put the netting on right away. "Good morning," said the old woman to Jessica in her scratchy voice.

"Who are you?" asked Jessica jumping back away from the old woman. "Where did you come from?"

"I am an old woman in need of help," she said. "I must finish this dress for the wedding of a princess tomorrow and I can not thread this needle. Could you please thread it for me?"

"Get some glasses," said Jessica, pushing past the old woman. "I don't have time for any princess. Let me collect my honey and be on my way."

"You selfish girl," the old woman said laughing. As Jessica approached the bee hives, a strong wind blew off her protective netting. The bees grew angry again at another unwanted visitor approaching them. They swarmed around Jessica and started stinging her. She threw down her empty buckets and ran for home.

The old lady laughed as she ran past her still standing in the path with the dress in her hands.

Without honey to take to town to sell, the family would have no dinner that night.

Old Man Kerr had no choice but to ask his youngest daughter, Grace.

"Grace," said Old Man Kerr, "you are so young. I do not like sending you out there with the bees so angry, but your sisters are both now nursing their bee stings.

You are the only one left. I would go myself if it weren't for this bad leg."

"That is alright Father," said Grace. "I would not want anything to happen to you. I will be so quiet that the bees will not even know I am there."

Grace skipped along the same path her sisters had followed. She picked up the empty buckets and found the netting tangled in a bush nearby. Then she saw an old woman sitting on a log.

She walked up to the old woman who was trying to thread her needle.

"You are having such a hard time with that," said Grace, " let me help you."

"Thank you so very much," the old woman said with tears in her eyes. "I cannot hardly see what I am doing. My eyes are old and tired."

"I can thread it for you," said Grace, "and there is not much more to sew on the dress. I will finish it for you."

Grace sat down on the log next to the old lady and sewed the finishing touches on the dress.

"This is a beautiful dress," said Grace. "Who is it for?"

Grace looked around. The old woman was gone. Grace took the dress and hung it over a nearby tree branch for the old woman to find when she returned. The she went to gather the honey.

Next to the hives she found the purest white goose she had ever seen with feathers trimmed in gold.

"My this is a mysterious day," said Grace. "Where did you ever come from? I must find your owner."

Grace picked up the goose and carried it home along with the honey she had gathered.

Mary Beth was sitting at her dressing table when Grace passed by her door with the goose.

"Where is the honey?" said Mary Beth,"and what is that?"

"The honey is on the kitchen table and this is a goose I found by the hives," said Grace.

"Now we will have a delicious dinner," said Mary Beth. "I will have to invite Jason to stay for dinner. Start cleaning that goose right away."

"I am taking this goose to town to find its' rightful owner," said Grace walking away.

by Barbara Ross