The girls have become women , and are sought , in marriage by many , but I knew you would come one day , and I have kept them for you . Follow me into my house . ' And the twelve brothers followed her gladly , and their father 's brother stood at the door , and gave them meat and drink . But at night , when every one was asleep , Halfman crept softly to his brothers , and said to them , ` Listen , all of you ! This man is no uncle of ours , but an ogre . ' ` Nonsense ; of course he is our uncle , ' answered they . ` Well , this very night you will see ! ' said Halfman . And he did not go to bed , but hid himself and watched . Now in a little while he saw the wife of the ogre steal into the room on tiptoe and spread a red cloth over the brothers and then go and cover her daughters with a white cloth . After that she lay down and was soon snoring loudly . When Halfman was quite sure she was sound asleep , he took the red cloth from his brothers and put it on the girls , and laid their white cloth over his brothers . Next he drew their scarlet caps from their heads and exchanged them for the veils which the ogre 's daughters were wearing . This was hardly done when he heard steps coming along the floor , so he hid himself quickly in the folds of a curtain . There was only half of him ! The ogress came slowly and gently along , stretching out her hands before her , so that she might not fall against anything unawares , for she had only a tiny lantern slung at her waist , which did not give much light . And when she reached the place where the sisters were lying , she stooped down and held a corner of the cloth up to the lantern . Yes ! it certainly was red ! Still , to make sure that there was no mistake , she passed her hands lightly over their heads , and felt the caps that covered them .
Then she was quite certain the brothers lay sleeping before her , and began XXXXX kill them one by one .
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