Now listen to me, children. You must be civil and kind to
everyone, and never say a cross word to anyone, and never touch a
crumb belonging to anyone else. Who knows if, after all, help
may not be sent to you?'
And she gave her grandchildren a bottle of milk and a piece of
ham and a loaf of bread, and they set out for the great gloomy
wood. When they reached it they saw in front of them, in the
thickest of the trees, a queer little hut, and when they looked
into it, there lay the witch, with her head on the threshold of
the door, with one foot in one corner and the other in the other
corner, and her knees cocked up, almost touching the ceiling.
'Who's there?' she snarled, in an awful voice, when she saw the
children.
And they answered civilly, though they were so terrified that
they hid behind one another, and said:
'Good-morning, granny; our step-mother has sent us to wait upon
you, and serve you.'
'See that you do it well, then,' growled the witch. 'If I am
pleased with you, I'll reward you; but if I am not, I'll put you
in a pan and fry you in the oven--that's what I'll do with you,
my pretty dears! You have been gently reared, but you'll find my
work hard enough.
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