Opening, part 26 · page 21 2101And so they did, till they got to about the middle of the lake, when the frog boy stopped.102'I don't like it, and I won't go any further,' cried he sulkily.103And his mother had to promise him all sorts of nice things before he would go on again.104When at last they reached the other side, the owl's wife untied the line from the frog's mouth and told him he might rest and play by the lake till they got back from the forest.105Then she and her sister and the boy walked on, with the great forest looming before them.106But they had by this time come far and were very tired, and felt glad enough to see some smoke curling up from a little hut in front of them.107'Let us go in and ask for some water,' said the eagle's wife; and in they went.108The inside of the hut was so dark that at first they could see nothing at all; but presently they heard a feeble croak from one corner.109But sisters turned to look, and there, tied by wings and feet, and their eyes sunken, were the husbands that they sought.110Quick as lightning the wives cut the deer- thongs which bound them; but the poor birds were too weak from pain and starvation to do more than utter soft sounds of joy.111Hardly, however, were they set free, than a voice of thunder made the two sisters jump, while the little boy clung tightly round his mother's neck.112'What are you doing in my house?' cried she.113And the wives answered boldly that now they had found their husbands they meant to save them from such a wicked witch.114'Well, I will give you your chance,' answered the ogress, with a hideous grin; 'we will see if you can slide down this mountain.115If you can reach the bottom of the cavern, you shall have your husbands back again.'116And as she spoke she pushed them before her out of the door to the edge of a precipice, which went straight down several hundreds of feet.117Unseen by the witch, the frog's mother fastened one end of the magic line about her, and whispered to the little boy to hold fast the other.118She had scarcely done so when the witch turned round.119'You don't seem to like your bargain,' said she; but the girl answered:120'Oh, yes, I am quite ready.121I was only waiting for you!'122And sitting down she began her slide.123On, on, she went, down to such a depth that even the witch's eyes could not follow her; but she took for granted that the woman was dead, and told the sister to take her place.124At that instant, however, the head of the elder appeared above the rock, brought upwards by the magic line.125The witch gave a howl of disgust, and hid her face in her hands; thus giving the younger sister time to fasten the cord to her waist before the ogress looked up.126'You can't expect such luck twice,' she said; and the girl sat down and slid over the edge.127But in a few minutes she too was back again, and the witch saw that she had failed, and feared lest her power was going.128Trembling with rage though she was, she dared not show it, and only laughed hideously.129'I sha'n't let my prisoners go as easily as all that!' she said. '130Make my hair grow as thick and as black as yours, or else your husbands shall never see daylight again.'131'That is quite simple,' replied the elder sister; 'only you must do as we did--and perhaps you won't like the treatment.'132'If you can bear it, of course I can,' answered the witch.133And so the girls told her they had first smeared their heads with pitch and then laid hot stones upon them.134'It is very painful,' said they, 'but there is no other way that we know of.135And in order to make sure that all will go right, one of us will hold you down while the other pours on the pitch.'1 2← previousOpening, part 25next →Opening, part 27↑ back to The Orange Fairy BookThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3027/26/page/2/