HOP-O’-Mv- ‘Here comes my husband,’ said the woman, in a
THUMB whisper; ‘make haste, and let me hide you.’
And she concealed them as well as she could under
the bed. But it is difficult to conceal seven boys.
Then she went and admitted her husband.
The ogre asked if his supper were ready and his
wine drawn, and immediately seated himself at
the table. The sheep was served at once; it was
still half raw, but he liked it all the better.
When he had eaten it he looked about him, and
spied a little shoe lying near the fire.
“What is this 2?’ he asked, in a terrible voice. ‘You
have had children by the fireside—where are they 2?’
‘Husband, how can you be so silly?’ said the
poor trembling wife; ‘surely that is only our
eldest daughter’s doll’s shoe.’
The giant might have been deceived, but just at
that moment poor Peter, who had caught a cold,
happened to sneeze.
With a savage roar the ogre jumped up, and
dragged the seven pretty children from under the
bed, where they were hidden.
‘Ah!’ said he to his wife, ‘this is the way you
deceive me, is it? It would serve you right if I
were to eat you; but you are serviceable to me,
you do my cooking. However, these children come
just as I wanted them. Three ogres are coming to
dine with me the day after to-morrow, and they
will greatly enjoy such a feast. The children may
not be fat, but they are tender.’ ,
The poor boys cast themselves at the ogre’s feet,
and, with many tears, besought him to spare them;
but they had fallen into the power of the most cruel
of the ogres, who had no pity. He answered their
prayers by telling his wife that he would have them
roasted and served up with apple sauce.
He then got his axe, and was about to cut off their
heads, when his wife said—
‘It weeuls be better to keep them for a day or two,
II