But directly she entered the room the man told her that he felt a great deal better , and that he would rather have a piece of bear 's flesh , well boiled , than any bird , however tender . His wife felt very miserable to think that their beloved redbreast had been sacrificed for nothing , and begged him to try a little bit . ` You felt so sure that it would do you good before , ' said she , ` that I ca n't help thinking it would quite cure you now . ' But the man only flew into a rage , and flung the bird out of the window . Then he got up and went out . Now all this while the ball had been rolling , rolling , rolling to the old grandmother 's hut on the other side of the world , and directly it rolled into her hut she knew that her grandson must be dead . Without wasting any time she took a fox skin and tied it round her forehead , and fastened another round her waist , as witches always do when they leave their own homes . When she was ready she said to the ball : ` Go back the way you came , and lead me to my grandson . ' And the ball started with the old woman following . It was a long journey , even for a witch , but , like other things , it ended at last ; and the old woman stood before the platform of stakes , where the body of Ball-Carrier lay . ` Wake up , my grandson , it is time to go home , ' the witch said . And Ball-Carrier stepped down oft the platform , and brought his club and bow and arrows out of the hut , and set out , for the other side of the world , behind the old woman . When they reached the hut where Ball-Carrier had fasted so many years ago , the old woman spoke for the first time since they had started on their way . ` My grandson , did you ever manage to get that gold from the Bad One ? ' ` Yes , grandmother , I got it . ' ` Where is it ? ' she asked . ` Here , in my left arm-pit , ' answered he . So she picked up a knife and scraped away all the gold which had stuck to his skin , and which had been sticking there ever since he first stole it . After she had finished she asked again : ` My grandson , did you manage to get that bridge from the Bad One ? '
` Yes , grandmother , I got XXXXX too , ' answered he .
After So Without at before from in of since that