Jacob and the Raven 29

And, small as she was, the giant cowered.

Accordingly, aching from head to foot, the
boy was tied,-but this made him only the
more determined to get away, which was
what the woman had counted on, and why
she meant to give hima chance. For Jacob
she cared nothing, but she longed with all
her wicked heart to ensnare Krawk. His
mistress was stronger than she, and if she
could get the bird her power would be
doubled, and as she was very cunning she
thought that if she treated the boy cruelly
he would be ready to do anything to get
free. She knew that the raven had not
deserted him, for she had watched, and that
very day had seen him hovering about,
though cautiously, and now she _ believed
the time was come to let the two have
word with each other. So under pretence
of Jacob’s sweeping off the snow and giving
the cow a nibble of grass and bracken, she
sent him into the wood the very next morn-
ing, when there was a break of light in the
grey sky, and she told her husband how