there were once a little brother and a little sister, who loved each other with all their hearts. their own mother was, however, dead, and they had a step-mother, who was not kind to them, and secretly did everything she could to hurt them. it so happened that the two were playing with other children in a meadow before the house, and there was a pond in the meadow which came up to one side of the house. the children ran about it, and caught each other, and played at counting out.