ely. "Don't think of it," he said.

The second son also had something else to say. "I suppose there aren't
so many of you at your house?" he asked.

"So many children?" replied Everychild. "No. Not any, now. I was the
only child."

This had the effect of exciting all the sons and daughters. The second
son voiced the amazement which they all felt. "You don't say so!" he
exclaimed. "But how did you ever get anything to wear? If there was
no one ahead of you, how could they make anything over for you?"

Everychild really did not understand this. "Why, my mother used to get
things for me," he said.

"Your mother, certainly," said the second son. "But who wore your
clothes before you got them?"

"No one, I suppose. You mean that your clothes . . . ?"

"They're made over from the things the older children have grown too
big for."

Everychild was more and more puzzled. "Yes," he said, "but the oldest
one of all--there had to be a beginning!"

The second son laughed. "In the beginning," he explained, "they have
to be cut down from father's things."

"Oh--your father's!" exclaimed Everychild. Then in a polite murmur,
"I--I never heard of your father."

The second son explained this simply. "You never do, when there are so
many children," he said.

While Everychild was nodding slowly in reply to this the scene suddenly
changed.

The Old Woman took two or three steps in the direction of her sons and
daughters; and the sons and daughters, seeing there was no hope for
them, approached her with hanging heads.

The scene which followed was such that Everychild felt certain he could
never forget it. One after another the children were seized and fed a
few spoonfuls of the broth without any bread. Then each was spanked
most soundly. Then one by one they quickly escaped up the ladder until
the last of them had disappeared. It was all over in a very short time.

Everychild had now been joined by his companions, who saw the last of
the Old Woman's children scramble up the ladder and disappear.

As for the Old Woman, she stood a moment, panting, as well she might,
and then she made her way around behind the shoe. Just before she
disappeared she glared at Everychild and actually _made a face at him_!

Everychild addressed his companions. "I think we ought to get them to
go with us," he said. "That's no way for them to be treated--to be
whipped and sent to bed like that."

The giant began dreamily