164 Fairy Tales

that. But as they are so stupid and you so
clever, don’t you think you could manage
to save these poor little children?” And
then she added, quite as if it had nothing
to do with the matter, “ By the way, I must
go and see about those tom-tits,” for she
knew that tom-tits for dinner always put
him into a good humour.

Upon that he waggled his great beard,
and she listened very attentively, for she
saw he was coming round.

‘Easy enough,” he grunted. “If you
werent a woman, you might have thought
of it, too. Haven't they got a dog, and
hasn't he got a collar?”

eaves =dearayes |:

“Well, then, all there is to do is to write
a little note, which you must bring to me,
that I may sew it under his collar. Then
if they can’t go out, you can, I suppose?
And you can take him in a basket, and
when you are quite out of sight, you can
let him go, and you may be sure he won’t
be long in getting home.”