perience, did not know what terrible people robbers are, so he
came out of the hole and approached them. This was not wise. Robbers
are not to be trifled with.

Jack said he would like something to eat too. The robbers all stared
at him, then drew their knives and swords and began to whet them to
cut him in pieces and kill him before you could say Jack Robinson.
That's the way with robbers. They don't stand on much ceremony.

"Stop," said one of them. "Might not this boy be useful to us?"

"How?" asked another.

"Perhaps he's the seventh child, then he can find the iron-wort for
us," said the first speaker.

"That's true!" they all shouted.

So they questioned Jack, and were wild with delight when they learned
that he actually was the seventh of seven children. The point in
question was this--the robbers had learned that the emperor had
received an immense sum of money, all in gold, from a merchant who had
long been his debtor; the wicked men wanted to steal this treasure.
But the emperor had put it in a room closed with seven iron-barred
doors, and on each door were seven locks wrought with great skill, so
that no one could open them. So this was a real imperial business,
which required careful consideration. Therefore, the robbers had gone
to a witch, that she might give them instruction and a powerful charm
by means of which they could force their way through the royal locks
and iron-barred doors. The witch had told them that nothing except
iron-wort would open the locks, and that the plant could be found only
by the seventh of seven children while he was still an innocent child,
in the gray dawn of morning, when it gleamed in the meadows among the
other herbs. Moreover, whoever had the plant must then make a gash in
his finger, lay it in the cut, and leave it there till the wound had
healed, so that it might remain in the finger. After that any piece of
iron, lock, bolt, or chain, no matter how strong it might be, would
open at his bidding. Such a plant would be to the robbers not merely a
source of amusement, but a valuable possession. So they entertained
Jack and made him a soft bed where he could sleep soundly; but they
told him that they would kill him if he didn't find the plant. All
night long poor Jack dreamed of searching for the stalk of the herb.
At the first gray dawn the robbers waked the boy and sent him to look
for it.

Jack crept along on all fours, and while in this position, looking
over th