The Enchanted Head Once upon a time an old woman lived in a small cottage near the sea with her two daughters . They were very poor , and the girls seldom left the house , as they worked all day long making veils for the ladies to wear over their faces , and every morning , when the veils were finished , the other took them over the bridge and sold them in the city . Then she bought the food that they needed for the day , and returned home to do her share of veil-making . One morning the old woman rose even earlier than usual , and set off for the city with her wares . She was just crossing the bridge when , suddenly , she knocked up against a human head , which she had never seen there before . The woman started back in horror ; but what was her surprise when the head spoke , exactly as if it had a body joined on to it . ` Take me with you , good mother ! ' it said imploringly ; ` take me with you back to your house . ' At the sound of these words the poor woman nearly went mad with terror . Have that horrible thing always at home ? Never ! never ! And she turned and ran back as fast as she could , not knowing that the head was jumping , dancing , and rolling after her . But when she reached her own door it bounded in before her , and stopped in front of the fire , begging and praying to be allowed to stay . All that day there was no food in the house , for the veils had not been sold , and they had no money to buy anything with . So they all sat silent at their work , inwardly cursing the head which was the cause of their misfortunes . When evening came , and there was no sign of supper , the head spoke , for the first time that day : ` Good mother , does no one ever eat here ? During all the hours I have spent in your house not a creature has touched anything . ' ` No , ' answered the old woman , ` we are not eating anything . ' ` And why not , good mother ? '
` Because we have no money XXXXX buy any food . '
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