he
last child, when she says, "And Saturday, take care of yourself." Then
to the eldest, "Be sure and not let the old witch take any of your
sisters. You can also get the dinner, and be sure not to let the pot
boil over."

The mother then goes away and stays at a distance out of sight. As
soon as the mother has gone, the old witch, stooping, lame, and
walking with a stick, comes and raps with her knuckles on the supposed
door. The eldest daughter says; "Come in! What do you want?"

_Old Witch._ Let me light my pipe at your fire; my fire is out.

_Eldest Daughter._ Yes, if you will not dirty the hearth.

_Old Witch._ No, certainly; I will be careful.

The eldest daughter lets her in and goes about her work, setting the
table or looking on the shelf, when the old witch suddenly stoops down
and blows the ashes on the hearth; whereupon the pot makes a hissing
sound as though boiling over, and the old witch catches hold of Monday
and runs away with her.

The eldest daughter cries out, "Mother, mother, the pot boils over!"

The mother calls back, "Take the spoon and skim it."

"Can't find it."

"Look on the shelf."

"Can't reach it."

"Take the stool."

"Leg's broken."

"Take the chair."

"Chair's gone to be mended."

Mother, "I suppose I must come myself!"

The mother then returns, looks about, and misses Monday. "Where is my
Monday?" she demands of the eldest daughter.

The daughter says, "Under the table." The mother pretends to look
under the table, and calls "Monday!" then says, "She isn't there." The
daughter suggests various places, up on the shelf, down in the cellar,
etc., with the same result. Finally, the eldest daughter cries and
says: "Oh, please, mother, please! I couldn't help it, but some one
came to beg a light for her pipe, and when I looked for her again she
had gone, and taken Monday with her."

The mother says, "Why, that was the old witch!" She pretends to beat
the eldest daughter, and tells her to be more careful in the future,
and on no account to let the pot boil over. The eldest daughter weeps,
promises to be better, and the mother again goes away. The old witch
comes again, and the same thing is repeated until each child in turn
has been taken away, the old witch pretending each time to borrow a
different article that is used around the fire, as the poker, the
kettle, etc. Finally, the eldest daughter is carried off too.

The pot, which has boiled over with a hissing sound