And the witch returned to see how the children were getting on ; and she crept up to the window , and whispered : ` Are you weaving , my little dear ? ' ` Yes , granny , I am weaving , ' answered the cat . When the witch saw that the children had escaped her , she was furious , and , hitting the cat with a porringer , she said : ` Why did you let the children leave the hut ? Why did you not scratch their eyes out ? ' But the cat curled up its tail and put its back up , and answered : ' I have served you all these years and you never even threw me a bone , but the dear children gave me their own piece of ham . ' Then the witch was furious with the watch-dog and with the birch-trees , because they had let the children pass . But the dog answered : ' I have served you all these years and you never gave me so much as a hard crust , but the dear children gave me their own loaf of bread . ' And the birch rustled its leaves , and said : ' I have served you longer than I can say , and you never tied a bit of twine even round my branches ; and the dear children bound them up with their brightest ribbons . ' So the witch saw there was no help to be got from her old servants , and that the best thing she could do was to mount on her broom and set off in pursuit of the children . And as the children ran they heard the sound of the broom sweeping the ground close behind them , so instantly they threw the handkerchief down over their shoulder , and in a moment a deep , broad river flowed behind them . When the witch came up to it , it took her a long time before she found a place which she could ford over on her broom-stick ; but at last she got across , and continued the chase faster than before . And as the children ran they heard a sound , and the little sister put her ear to the ground , and heard the broom sweeping the earth close behind them ; so , quick as thought , she threw the comb down on the ground , and in an instant , as the cat had said , a dense forest sprung up , in which the roots and branches were so closely intertwined , that it was impossible to force a way through it . So when the witch came up to it on her broom she found that there was nothing for it but to turn round and go back to her hut . But the twins ran straight on till they reached their own home . Then they told their father all that they had suffered , and he was so angry with their step-mother that he drove her out of the house , and never let her return ; but he and the children lived happily together ; and he took care of them himself , and never let a stranger come near them . THE HAZEL-NUT CHILD -LRB- 29 -RRB- -LRB- 29 -RRB- From the Bukowniaer . Van Wliolocki . There was once upon a time a couple who had no children , and they prayed Heaven every day to send them a child , though it were no bigger than a hazel-nut . At last Heaven heard their prayer and sent them a child exactly the size of a hazel-nut , and it never grew an inch . The parents were very devoted to the little creature , and nursed and tended it carefully .
Their tiny son too was as clever as he could be , and so sharp and sensible XXXXX all the neighbours marvelled over the wise things he said and did .
at behind for in of on over than that with