That night she cried herself to sleep; and next morning, seeing that it was quite hopeless to expect to get her task finished, she threw down her distaff in despair, and ran out of doors.
"The Scottish Fairy Book"
Elizabeth W. Grierson
Spinning is all very well for old folks like me-my lips, as thou seest, are long and ugly because I have spun so much, for I always wet my fingers with them, the easier to draw the thread from the distaff.
"The Scottish Fairy Book"
Elizabeth W. Grierson
The Giant asked how this was, and they told him that they had to work so hard all day, spinning for their Master that they were quite exhausted; and that the reason why their lips were so distorted was that they used them constantly to wet their fingers, so that they might pull the wool in very fine strands from the distaff.
"The Scottish Fairy Book"
Elizabeth W. Grierson