The very moment the fagot-maker and his wife reached home the lord of the manor sent them ten crowns , which he had owed them a long while , and which they never expected . This gave them new life , for the poor people were almost famished . The fagot-maker sent his wife immediately to the butcher 's . As it was a long while since they had eaten a bit , she bought thrice as much meat as would sup two people . When they had eaten , the woman said : `` Alas ! where are now our poor children ? they would make a good feast of what we have left here ; but it was you , William , who had a mind to lose them : I told you we should repent of it . What are they now doing in the forest ? Alas ! dear God , the wolves have perhaps already eaten them up ; thou art very inhuman thus to have lost thy children . '' The fagot-maker grew at last quite out of patience , for she repeated it above twenty times , that they should repent of it , and that she was in the right of it for so saying . He threatened to beat her if she did not hold her tongue . It was not that the fagot-maker was not , perhaps , more vexed than his wife , but that she teased him , and that he was of the humor of a great many others , who love wives to speak well , but think those very importunate who are continually doing so . She was half-drowned in tears , crying out : `` Alas ! where are now my children , my poor children ? '' She spoke this so very loud that the children , who were at the gate , began to cry out all together : `` Here we are ! Here we are ! '' She ran immediately to open the door , and said , hugging them : `` I am glad to see you , my dear children ; you are very hungry and weary ; and my poor Peter , thou art horribly bemired ; come in and let me clean thee . '' Now , you must know that Peter was her eldest son , whom she loved above all the rest , because he was somewhat carroty , as she herself was . They sat down to supper , and ate with such a good appetite as pleased both father and mother , whom they acquainted how frightened they were in the forest , speaking almost always all together .
The good folks were extremely glad to see their children once more at home , and this joy continued XXXXX the ten crowns lasted ; but , when the money was all gone , they fell again into their former uneasiness , and resolved to lose them again ; and , that they might be the surer of doing it , to carry them to a much greater distance than before .
As at for if in of than that to while