Part Four

Nurit was uglier than before, but Irit was more beautiful. Men wanted to marry her. Her father chose a good young man, and arranged the marriage.

His wife was angry.

"This young man is too good for Irit," she thought.

She took Irit's hand and pulled her to the river. A big python lived near the river.

"Python! Come and take this wicked girl," Nurit's mother called out.

The python was a wise old snake.

"I know this woman," he thought, "and I know her daughter. The woman is cruel and wicked, but the girl is good. If I do not help her, the woman will kill her."

"Don't be afraid, my daughter," he whispered to Irit, and he opened his mouth and swallowed her.

The next day, the bridegroom and his friend came to Irit's house to take her.

"Irit is not here," her mother told them. "She is a bad girl. She ran away."

The bridegroom was sad. He and his friend began to go away, but then they saw the python by the door.

"Do not be sad, my young friend," the python said to the bridegroom. "I can give you a wife. She is a very beautiful girl, and wise and clever, too. Do you want her?"

"Yes!" said the bridegroom. "Let me see this beautiful girl, and I will marry her."

So the python spat Irit out of his mouth. The bridegroom was very happy when he saw her. He married Irit, and they lived happily together.

But he and the best man took Nurit and cut out her tongue. They put her in the kitchen, to grind the hot peppers.

"You were cruel to your sister," they said to her. "You told lies about her. Learn your lesson. If you do bad things to people, bad things will happen to you."

Exercises for Irit and Nurit Part 4

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