oked round for them
they were nowhere to be seen.

Then he swore that he would never more harbour such vagabonds, that
consumed so much, paid nothing, and played such nasty tricks into the
bargain.

THE BROTHER AND SISTER

THE brother took his sister's hand and said to her,

"Since our mother died we have had no good days; our stepmother beats us
every day, and if we go near her she kicks us away; we have nothing to
eat but hard crusts of bread left over; the dog under the table fares
better; he gets a good piece every now and then. If our mother only
knew, how she would pity us! Come, let us go together out into the wide
world!"

So they went, and journeyed the whole day through fields and meadows and
stony places, and if it rained the sister said,

"The skies and we are weeping together."

In the evening they came to a great wood, and they were so weary with
hunger and their long journey, that they climbed up into a high tree and
fell asleep.

The next morning, when they awoke, the sun was high in heaven, and shone
brightly through the leaves. Then said the brother,

"Sister, I am thirsty; if I only knew where to find a brook, that I
might go and drink! I almost think that I hear one rushing." So the
brother got down and led his sister by the hand, and they went to seek
the brook. But their wicked stepmother was a witch, and had known quite
well that the two children had run away, and had sneaked after them, as
only witches can, and had laid a spell on all the brooks in the forest.
So when they found a little stream flowing smoothly over its pebbles,
the brother was going to drink of it; but the sister heard how it said
in its rushing,

"He a tiger will be who drinks of me,
Who drinks of me a tiger will be!"

Then the sister cried,

"Pray, dear brother, do not drink, or you will become a wild beast, and
will tear me in pieces."

So the brother refrained from drinking, though his thirst was great, and
he said he would wait till he came to the next brook. When they came to
a second brook the sister heard it say,

"He a wolf will be who drinks of me,
Who drinks of me a wolf will be!"

Then the sister cried,

"Pray, dear brother, do not drink, or you will be turned into a wolf,
and will eat me up!"

So the brother refrained from drinking, and said,

"I will wait until we come to the next brook, and then I must drink,
whatever you say; my thirst is so great."

And when th