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 to kill them one by one . And Halfman whispered to his brothers , ` Get up and run for your lives , as the ogress is killing her daughters . ' The brothers needed no second bidding , and in a moment were out of the house . By this time the ogress had slain all her daughters but one , who awoke suddenly and saw what had happened . ` Mother , what are you doing ? ' cried she . ` Do you know that you have killed my sisters ? ' ` Oh , woe is me ! ' wailed the ogress . ` Halfman has outwitted me after all ! ' And she turned to wreak vengeance on him , but he and his brothers were far away . They rode all day till they got to the town where their real uncle lived , and inquired the way to his house . ` Why have you been so long in coming ? ' asked he , when they had found him . ` Oh , dear uncle , we were very nearly not coming at all ! ' replied they . ` We fell in with an ogress who took us home and would have killed us if it had not been for Halfman .
He knew what was XXXXX her mind and saved us , and here we are .
after as before by for in over that till to