do
that till morning which he might have done over-night, threw himself
hastily out of bed, and taking his great knife:

"Let us see," said he, "how our little rogues do, and not make two
jobs of the matter."

He then went up, groping all the way, into his daughters' chamber; and
came to the bed where the little boys lay, who were every soul of them
fast asleep; except Little Thumb, who was terribly afraid when he
found the Ogre fumbling about his head, as he had done about his
brothers'. The Ogre, feeling the golden crowns, said:

"I should have made a fine piece of work of it truly; I find I guzzled
too much last night."

Then he went to the bed where the girls lay; and having found the
boys' little bonnets: "Hah!" said he, "my merry lads, are you there?
Let us to work!"

And saying these words, without more ado, he cut the throats of all
his seven daughters.

Well pleased with what he had done, he went to bed again to his wife.
So soon as Little Thumb heard the Ogre snore, he waked his brothers,
and bade them put on their clothes presently, and follow him. They
stole down softly into the garden, and got over the wall. They kept
running almost all night, trembling all the while, without knowing
which way they went.

The Ogre, when he waked, said to his wife:

"Go up stairs and dress those young rascals who came here last night."

The Ogress was very much surprised at this goodness of her husband,
not dreaming after what manner he intended she should dress them; but
thinking that he had ordered her to go and put on their cloaths, went
up, and was strangely astonished when she perceived her seven
daughters killed, and weltering in their blood. She fainted away; for
this is the first expedient almost all women find in such-like cases.
The Ogre, fearing his wife would be too long in doing what he had
ordered, went up himself to help her. He was no less amazed than his
wife, at this frightful spectacle.

"Ah! what have I done?" cried he. "The cursed wretches shall pay for
it, and that instantly."

He threw then a pitcher of water upon his wife's face; and having
brought her to herself:

"Give me quickly," cried he, "my boots of seven leagues, that I may go
and catch them."

He went out; and, having run over a vast deal of ground, both on this
side and that, he came at last into the very road where the poor
children were, and not above a hundred paces from their father's
house. They espied the Ogre, who w