66 Fairy Tales

they had finished their poor supper, and
said—

“Tt is my turn now. Let me start to-
morrow. I warrant you I will find this
ogre and get something out of him. He
is sure to be a stupid if he is big.”

At this the mother exclaimed sharply,
“Be quiet, you are too young. We shall
be having little Hans talking of such
follies next. Oh, if only I could be up
and about again I would manage some-
thing, but the girls will never learn to be
wise

When she said this she turned her face
away lest the tears should be seen, and the
man put his arms round each little flaxen-
haired maiden.

“Do not blame them, wife,” he said
quietly; ‘they are good children, and do
their best. But Peter is right, that is the
truth. Here are too many mouths, and
he must go.”

So the next morning it was Peter, with
his rabbit-skin cap, who started alone across