So he
married, and in the following years several children were born to
him; but peace and order did not come to the household. For the
step-mother was very cruel to the twins, and beat them, and
half-starved them, and constantly drove them out of the house;
for her one idea was to get them out of the way. All day she
thought of nothing but how she should get rid of them; and at
last an evil idea came into her head, and she determined to send
them out into the great gloomy wood where a wicked witch lived.
And so one morning she spoke to them, saying:
'You have been such good children that I am going to send you to
visit my granny, who lives in a dear little hut in the wood. You
will have to wait upon her and serve her, but you will be well
rewarded, for she will give you the best of everything.'
So the children left the house together; and the little sister,
who was very wise for her years, said to the brother:
'We will first go and see our own dear grandmother, and tell her
where our step-mother is sending us.'
And when the grandmother heard where they were going, she cried
and said:
'You poor motherless children! How I pity you; and yet I can do
nothing to help you! Your step-mother is not sending you to her
granny, but to a wicked witch who lives in that great gloomy
wood.
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