It would break our mother's heart if she knew it! Come, we will go out
into the wide world together."
They went along the whole day through meadows, over rocks and stones,
and when it rained the little sister said, "Heaven and our hearts are
crying together." In the evening they came to a great wood, and were
so worn out with grief, hunger, and weariness, that they sat down in a
hollow tree and went to sleep.
The next morning, when they awoke, the sun was already high in the
heavens, and shone down very hot on the tree. Upon which said the
brother, "Sister, I am thirsty; I would go and have a drink if I knew
where there was a spring: I think I can hear one trickling." He got
up, took his sister by the hand, and they went to look for the spring.
The wicked stepmother, however, who was a witch, and well knew how the
children had run away, had crept after them secretly, in the way
witches do, and had bewitched all the springs in the wood. When they
had found a spring that was dancing brightly over the stones, the
brother stooped down to drink; but his sister heard a voice in its
murmur, which said, "Whoever drinks of me will become a tiger."
Eagerly the little sister cried, "I pray thee, brother, do not drink,
lest thou become a wild beast and tear me to pieces."
The brother did not drink, although he was so thirsty, but said, "I
will wait for the next spring.
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