Do you know why she had lost it ? She was a witch , and has wedded three husbands , and each husband she has put to death with her arts . Then the people of the town cut off her hand , and turned her into the forest . And what I say is true , for her town is my town also . ' The king listened , and his face grew dark . Unluckily he had a hasty temper , and did not stop to reason , and , instead of sending to the town , and discovering people who knew his daughter-in-law and could have told him how hard she had worked and how poor she had been , he believed all the brother 's lying words , and made the queen believe them too . Together they took counsel what they should do , and in the end they decided that they also would put her out of the town . But this did not content the brother . ` Kill her , ' he said . ` It is no more than she deserves for daring to marry the king 's son . Then she can do no more hurt to anyone . ' ` We can not kill her , ' answered they ; ` if we did , our son would assuredly kill us . Let us do as the others did , and put her out of the town . And with this the envious brother was forced to be content . The poor girl loved her husband very much , but just then the baby was more to her than all else in the world , and as long as she had him with her , she did not very much mind anything . So , taking her son on her arm , and hanging a little earthen pot for cooking round her neck , she left her house with its great peacock fans and slaves and seats of ivory , and plunged into the forest . For a while she walked , not knowing whither she went , then by and bye she grew tired , and sat under a tree to rest and to hush her baby to sleep . Suddenly she raised her eyes , and saw a snake wriggling from under the bushes towards her . ' I am a dead woman , ' she said to herself , and stayed quite still , for indeed she was too frightened to move . In another minute the snake had reached her side , and to her surprise he spoke .
` Open your earthen pot , and let me go XXXXX .
by for if in of on than that to while