There was once upon a time a peasant-woman who had a daughter and a step-daughter. The daughter had her own way in everything, and whatever she did was right in her mother's eyes; but the poor step-daughter had a hard time. She was blamed for everything she did. Yet, if the truth were known, the girl was worth her weight in gold--she was so unselfish and good-hearted. Her step-mother did not like her and kept saying to the girl’s father : 'Send her away, old man.” The father drove her out onto the open fields, where he kissed her and left her, driving home as fast as he could, that he might not witness her miserable death. Deserted by her father, the poor girl sat down under a fir-tree and began to weep silently. Suddenly she heard a faint sound: it was King Frost springing from tree to tree, and cracking his fingers as he went. At length he reached the fir-tree beneath which she was sitting, and with a crisp crackling sound he alighted beside her, and looked at her lovely face. 'Well, maiden,' he snapped out, 'do you know who I am? I am King Frost, king of the red-noses.' 'All hail to you, great King!' answered the girl, in a gentle, trembling voice. 'Have you come to take me?' 'Are you warm, maiden?' he replied. Though her breath was almost frozen on her lips, she whispered gently, 'Quite warm, King Frost.' Then King Frost asked her again: 'Maiden, are you still warm? Are you still warm, little love?' And the poor girl was so stiff and numb that she could just gasp, 'Still warm, O King!' Now her gentle, courteous words and her uncomplaining ways touched King Frost, and he had pity on her, and he wrapped her up in furs, and covered her with blankets, and he fetched a great box full of gold and silver. In the meantime, the wicked stepmother was waiting at home for news of the girl's death. She said to her husband: 'Old man, you had better go out into the fields and find your daughter's body and bury her.' Just as the old man was leaving the house the little dog under the table began to bark, saying: 'YOUR daughter shall live to be your delight; HER daughter shall die this very night.' 'Hold your tongue, you foolish beast!' scolded the woman. The dogs kept repeating the same words. Suddenly the door creaked and flew open, and there came the step-daughter, in a dress all glittering with silver and gold. For a moment the step-mother's eyes were dazzled. Then she called to her husband: 'Old man, take my daughter to the same field and leave her on the same spot exactly; 'and so the old man did it. In a few minutes King Frost came past, and, looking at the girl, he said: 'Are you warm, maiden?' 'What a blind old fool you must be to ask such a question!' she answered angrily. 'Can't you see that my hands and feet are nearly frozen?' Then King Frost sprang to and fro in front of her, questioning her, and getting only rude, rough words in reply, till at last he got very angry, and cracked his fingers, and gnashed his teeth, and froze her to death. What conclusion can we draw from the text?

Question

There was once upon a time a peasant-woman who had a daughter and a step-daughter. The daughter had her own way in everything, and whatever she did was right in her mother's eyes; but the poor step-daughter had a hard time. She was blamed for everything she did. Yet, if the truth were known, the girl was worth her weight in gold--she was so unselfish and good-hearted. Her step-mother did not like her and kept saying to the girl’s father : 'Send her away, old man.”

The father drove her out onto the open fields, where he kissed her and left her, driving home as fast as he could, that he might not witness her miserable death. Deserted by her father, the poor girl sat down under a fir-tree and began to weep silently. Suddenly she heard a faint sound: it was King Frost springing from tree to tree, and cracking his fingers as he went. At length he reached the fir-tree beneath which she was sitting, and with a crisp crackling sound he alighted beside her, and looked at her lovely face.

'Well, maiden,' he snapped out, 'do you know who I am? I am King Frost, king of the red-noses.'

'All hail to you, great King!' answered the girl, in a gentle, trembling voice. 'Have you come to take me?'

'Are you warm, maiden?' he replied.

Though her breath was almost frozen on her lips, she whispered gently, 'Quite warm, King Frost.' Then King Frost asked her again:

'Maiden, are you still warm? Are you still warm, little love?'

And the poor girl was so stiff and numb that she could just gasp, 'Still warm, O King!'

Now her gentle, courteous words and her uncomplaining ways touched King Frost, and he had pity on her, and he wrapped her up in furs, and covered her with blankets, and he fetched a great box full of gold and silver.

In the meantime, the wicked stepmother was waiting at home for news of the girl's death. She said to her husband: 'Old man, you had better go out into the fields and find your daughter's body and bury her.' Just as the old man was leaving the house the little dog under the table began to bark, saying:

'YOUR daughter shall live to be your delight; HER daughter shall die this very night.'

'Hold your tongue, you foolish beast!' scolded the woman. The dogs kept repeating the same words.

Suddenly the door creaked and flew open, and there came the step-daughter, in a dress all glittering with silver and gold. For a moment the step-mother's eyes were dazzled. Then she called to her husband: 'Old man, take my daughter to the same field and leave her on the same spot exactly; 'and so the old man did it. In a few minutes King Frost came past, and, looking at the girl, he said:

'Are you warm, maiden?'

'What a blind old fool you must be to ask such a question!' she answered angrily. 'Can't you see that my hands and feet are nearly frozen?'

Then King Frost sprang to and fro in front of her, questioning her, and getting only rude, rough words in reply, till at last he got very angry, and cracked his fingers, and gnashed his teeth, and froze her to death.

What conclusion can we draw from the text?