` So , so , ' said the witch to herself ; ' I had better away with my gift for the infant , then . ' And so saying she set out . Thus it happened that she came to the bank of the river , and there she saw the beautiful golden hemlock growing in the middle of the bridge , and when she began to cut it down to take to her grandchild , she heard a voice moaning : ` Alas ! dear mother , do not cut me so ! ' ` Are you here ? ' demanded the witch . ` Indeed I am , dear little mother , ' answered the daughter ` They threw me across the river to make a bridge of me . ' In a moment the witch had the bridge shivered to atoms , and then she hastened away to the palace . Stepping up to the young Queen 's bed , she began to try her magic arts upon her , saying : ` Spit , you wretch , on the blade of my knife ; bewitch my knife 's blade for me , and I shall change you into a reindeer of the forest . ' ` Are you there again to bring trouble upon me ? ' said the young woman . She neither spat nor did anything else , but still the witch changed her into a reindeer , and smuggled her own daughter into her place as the Prince 's wife . But now the child grew restless and cried , because it missed its mother 's care . They took it to the court , and tried to pacify it in every conceivable way , but its crying never ceased . ` What makes the child so restless ? ' asked the Prince , and he went to a wise widow woman to ask her advice . ` Ay , ay , your own wife is not at home , ' said the widow woman ; ` she is living like a reindeer in the wood ; you have the witch 's daughter for a wife now , and the witch herself for a mother-in-law . ' ` Is there any way of getting my own wife back from the wood again ? ' asked the Prince . ` Give me the child , ' answered the widow woman .
` I 'll take it with me to-morrow when I go XXXXX drive the cows to the wood .
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