Stranica 93 [93]
‘THE * BROTHER: AND ‘SISTER:
HE brother took his sister’s hand and
sald 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 ihe 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
F