one of the most cruel Ogres in the world, who, far from having
any pity on them, had already devoured them with his eyes; he told his
wife they would be delicate eating, when tossed up with good savoury
sauce. He then took a great knife, and coming up to these poor
children, whetted it upon a great whet-stone which he held in his left
hand. He had already taken hold of one of them, when his wife said to
him:

"What need you do it now? It is time enough to-morrow?"

"Hold your prattling," said the Ogre, "they will eat the tenderer."

"But you have so much meat already," replied his wife, "you have no
occasion. Here is a calf, two sheep, and half a hog."

"That is true," said the Ogre, "give them their belly-full, that they
may not fall away, and put them to bed."

The good woman was overjoyed at this, and gave them a good supper; but
they were so much afraid, they could not eat a bit. As for the Ogre,
he sat down again to drink, being highly pleased that he had got
wherewithal to treat his friends. He drank a dozen glasses more than
ordinary, which got up into his head, and obliged him to go to bed.

The Ogre had seven daughters, all little children, and these young
Ogresses had all of them very fine complexions, because they used to
eat fresh meat like their father; but they had little grey eyes, quite
round, hooked noses, wide mouths, and very long sharp teeth standing
at a good distance from each other. They were not as yet over and
above mischievous; but they promised very fair for it, for they
already bit little children, that they might suck their blood. They
had been put to bed early, with every one a crown of gold upon her
head. There was in the same chamber another bed of the like bigness,
and it was into this bed the Ogre's wife put the seven little boys;
after which she went to bed to her husband.

Little Thumb, who had observed that the Ogre's daughters had crowns of
gold upon their heads, and was afraid lest the Ogre should repent his
not killing them, got up about midnight; and taking his brothers'
bonnets and his own, went very softly, put them upon the heads of the
seven little Ogresses, after having taken off their crowns of gold,
which he put upon his own head and his brothers', that the Ogre might
take them for his daughters, and his daughters for the little boys
whom he wanted to kill. All this succeeded according to his desire;
for the Ogre waking about midnight, and sorry that he deferred to