THE GIRL WHO TROD ON THE LOAF. 193

She continued fastened to the loaf, and the loaf drew her down
as an amber button draws a fragment of straw.

The Moor Woman was at home, and on that day there were
visitors in the brewery. These visitors were Old Bogey and his
grandmother, who came to inspect it ; and Bogey’s grandmother
is a venomous old woman, who is never idle : she never rides out
to pay a visit without taking her work with her ; and accordingly
she had brought it on the day in question. She sewed biting-
leather to be worked into men’s shoes, and which makes them
wander ahout, unable to settle anywhere. She wove webs of lies,
and strung together hastily-spoken words that had fallen to the
ground ; and all this was done for the injury and ruin of mankind.
Yes, she knew how to sew, to weave, and to string, this old grand-
mother !

Catching sight of Ingé, she put up her double eye-glass, and
took another look at the girl.

“ That ’s a girl who has ability!” she observed, “ and I beg you
will give me the little one as a memento of my visit here. She’ll
make a capital statue to stand in my grandson’s antechamber.”

And Ingé was given up to her, and this is how Ingé came into

. Bogey’s domain. People don’t always go there by the direct path,
but they can get there by roundabout routes if they have a ten-
dency in that direction. -

That was a never-ending antechamber. The visitor became
giddy who looked forward, and doubly giddy when he looked
back, and saw a whole crowd of people, almost utterly exhausted,
waiting till the gate of mercy should be opened to them—they had
to wait along time! Great fat waddling spiders spun webs of a
thousand years over their feet, and these webs cut like wire, and
bound them like bronze fetters; and, moreover, there was an
eternal unrest working in every heart—a miserable unrest. The
miser stood there, and had forgotten the key of his strong box,
and he knew the key was sticking in the lock. It would take too
long to describe the various sorts of torture that were found there
together. - Ingé felt a terrible pain while she had to stand there
as a Statute, for she was tied fast to the loaf.

“That’s the fruit of wishing to keep one’s feet neat and tidy,”
she said to herself. “ Just look how they’re all staring at me!”

Yes, certainly, the eyes of all were fixed upon her, and their
evil thoughts gleamed forth from their eyes, and they spoke to
one another, moving their lips, from which no sound whatever
came forth : they were very horrible to behold.

“It must be a great pleasure to look at me !” thought Ingé,
“and indeed I have a pretty face and fine clothes.” And she
turned her eyes, for she could not turn her head, her neck was
too stiff for that. But she had not considered how her clothes
had been soiled in the Moor Woman’s brewhouse. Her garments
were covered with mud; a snake had fastened in her hair, and

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