Many years ago on the banks of River Amazon there lived a poor fisherman whose wife had died, leaving him two beautiful daughters named Mary and Anna. Mary had hair as black as night and her skin was dark. Everyone in the village loved her as she was very kind and dutiful. She always helped her father repair the nets and make the torches to fish with at night. Her bright smile lit up the little hut of the fisherman like a ray of light.
The fisherman's second daughter Anna was fair and had long golden hair and she was very proud. She was quite different from Mary as she never helped the poor and never helped her father. She would play for the whole day catching butterflies cruelly by sticking a pin through it and then she would fasten it to her hair. then she would go down to the river and she her reflection in the clear water, and would laugh to see the poor butterfly struggling with pain. The villager's disliked Anna for her acts and loved Mary which made Anna jealous of her elder sister and thought evil of her.
One day a poor old woman came to the fisherman's house and begged for a little rice to put in her bowl. Mary was doing some household work and Anna was busy playing with the butterflies. When Anna saw the old beggar woman she ran towards the door shouted at her and pushed the old woman so badly that the old woman fell down on the ground and her head started bleeding. Hearing the old woman crying with pain Mary rushed outside to see what happened and helped the old woman get up. She took the old woman inside the house, washed the blood from her head and bandaged it. She then went to the kitchen and bought some bread and butter for her to eat and also filled the old woman's bowl with rice.
The poor woman thanked Mary and promised never to forget he kindness, but she did not say a word to Anna and left. Anna too did not care a bit for the old woman and instead made fun of her and mocked her calling her as a beggar. When the old lady left Mary scolded her Anna for being rude towards elders and warned her not to repeat the same mistake again which made Anna hate her sister even more. After some years the fisherman died due to terrible sickness. Mary and Anna were left alone in the world. Mary used to carve decorations from the shells which she gathered from the banks of the River and earned enough money to buy food for her and her sister. On the other hand Anna did nothing and spent her days playing.
One day Mary fell terribly ill and was unable to get up from her bed. Day by day Mary's illness grew and she became very weak Mary asked her sister Anna to nurse her, but Anna being jealous of Mary would do nothing to ease her pain. Mary's sickness grew worse and worse and finally it seemed as if she would die, the door opened and the old beggar woman whom Mary had helped once came inside the room. She bought with her some pills and advised Mary to swallow the pills. Mary did a per her instructions and showed signs of being better,but was still weak enough to thank the old lady for her help. The old woman then gave a few pills to Anna and instructed her to give the pills to Mary every hour until she returned. The old woman then went away leaving the two girls.
Anna watched her sister but did not give her the pills. Instead she threw the pills outside and paid no attention to Mary's moans of pain. Anna wanted her sister to die. The other day the old woman came once again to see Mary but was shocked to see that Mary was at the point of death. She asked Anna if she had given the pills to Mary every hour as instructed. Anna showed the old woman the empty bag and said she had given them as directed. The old woman did not believe Anna's words and started searching the house but she could not find the pills. She for the last time asked Anna if she had given the pills to her sister and again the cruel girl said hat she had done so.
Suddenly the room was filled with light and in the place of the old woman stood a beautiful fairy holding Mary in her arms. She said to Anna " I am the old beggar woman who asked for rice. I wanted to know your hearts, you were cruel and Mary was kind, so from now Mary will stay with me in beautiful home. She then cursed Anna saying from now on you will beg for food but no one will show you kindness and you will die with starvation and hunger.
"Come with me said the fairy to Mary" and she carried Mary to her beautiful home where she lived in peace and happiness forever.
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