Not so long ago, in a town called Brakel, there lived a girl who had a very particular wish. She wanted to find a husband!

So, one sunny morning, she decided to visit a special chapel in a nearby town called Driburg. This chapel was dedicated to Saint Anne, who people believed could help with all sorts of wishes.

When the girl from Brakel arrived, she walked straight up to the wooden statue of Saint Anne. "Oh, good Saint Anne," she said in a clear voice, "please, please help me find a nice husband, and soon!" She then took out a shiny silver coin and placed it carefully at the statue's feet. "This is for you," she added. Just then, a little sunbeam might have flickered, or perhaps it was her imagination, but the girl thought she saw the statue of Saint Anne give a tiny nod. "Oh, thank you!" she whispered, feeling very happy.

Now, Saint Anne's statue also had a little statue of the child Jesus standing beside her. The girl from Brakel turned to him. "And you, little one," she said, "please tell your mother to hurry up with my husband!" She fumbled in her pocket and pulled out a very, very small copper coin, much smaller than the one she gave to Saint Anne. "Here’s a little something for you too," she said, placing it by the child Jesus.

But this time, perhaps a shadow moved, or maybe it was just her fancy, but the girl thought she saw the little statue of the child Jesus shake its head, as if saying "no."

"What?" cried the girl, quite surprised and a little bit cross. "You cheeky little fellow! Your mother got a big silver coin, and you think this tiny copper one isn't enough for you? You just want more, don't you?"

She huffed, bent down, and snatched back the tiny copper coin from the child Jesus. "Well, if you're going to be like that," she declared, "you're not getting anything at all!"

With that, the girl from Brakel turned on her heel and marched out of the chapel. And you know what? It wasn't very long after that day that she did indeed find a husband, and a very good one too! Perhaps Saint Anne had heard her very clearly after all.

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