Then he went to the bed where the girls lay; and, having found the boys'
little bonnets,

"Ah!" said he, "my merry lads, are you there? Let us work as we ought."

And saying these words, without more ado, he cut the throats of all his
seven daughters.

Well pleased with what he had done, he went to bed again to his wife.
So soon as Little Thumb heard the Ogre snore, he waked his brothers, and
bade them all put on their clothes presently and follow him. They stole
down softly into the garden, and got over the wall. They kept running
about all night, and trembled all the while, without knowing which way
they went.

The Ogre, when he awoke, said to his wife: "Go upstairs and dress those
young rascals who came here last night."

The wife was very much surprised at this goodness of her husband, not
dreaming after what manner she should dress them; but, thinking that
he had ordered her to go and put on their clothes, she went up, and was
strangely astonished when she perceived her seven daughters killed, and
weltering in their blood.

She fainted away, for this is the first expedient almost all women find
in such cases. The Ogre, fearing his wife would be too long in doing
what he had ordered, went up himself to help her. He was no less amazed
than his wife at this frightful spectacle.

"Ah! what have I done?" cried he. "The wretches shall pay for it, and
that instantly."

He threw a pitcher of water upon his wife's face, and, having brought
her to herself, said:

"Give me quickly my boots of seven leagues, that I may go and catch
them."

He went out, and, having run over a vast deal of ground, both on
this side and that, he came at last into the very road where the poor
children were, and not above a hundred paces from their father's house.
They espied the Ogre, who went at one step from mountain to mountain,
and over rivers as easily as the narrowest kennels. Little Thumb, seeing
a hollow rock near the place where they were, made his brothers hide
themselves in it, and crowded into it himself, minding always what would
become of the Ogre.

The Ogre, who found himself much tired with his long and fruitless
journey (for these boots of seven leagues greatly fatigued the wearer),
had a great mind to rest himself, and, by chance, went to sit down upon
the rock where the little boys had hid themselves. As it was impossible
he could be more weary than he was, he fell asleep, and, after reposing
himself some time, b