Let one of us go to the market, and buy meat and
vegetables.'

'Oh, we mustn't do that!' said the youngest. 'You know our father
forbade us to open the door till he came home again.'

Then the eldest sister sprang at her and struck her, the second spit at
her, the third abused her, the fourth pushed her, the fifth flung her to
the ground, and the sixth tore her clothes. Then they left her lying on
the floor, and went out with a basket.

In about an hour they came back with the basket full of meat and
vegetables, which they put in a pot, and set on the fire, quite
forgetting that the house door stood wide open. The youngest sister,
however, took no part in all this, and when dinner was ready and the
table laid, she stole softly out to the entrance hall, and hid herself
behind a great cask which stood in one corner.

Now, while the other sisters were enjoying their feast, a witch passed
by, and catching sight of the open door, she walked in. She went up to
the eldest girl, and said: 'Where shall I begin on you, you fat
bolster?'

'You must begin,' answered she 'with the hand which struck my little
sister.'

So the witch gobbled her up, and when the last scrap had disappeared,
she came to the second and asked: 'Where shall I begin on you, my fat
bolster?'

And the second answered, 'You must begin on my mouth, which spat on my
sister.'

And so on to the rest; and very soon the whole six had disappeared. And
as the witch was eating the last mouthful of the last sister, the
youngest, who had been crouching, frozen with horror, behind the barrel,
ran out through the open door into the street. Without looking behind
her, she hastened on and on, as fast as her feet would carry her, till
she saw an ogre's castle standing in front of her. In a corner near the
door she spied a large pot, and she crept softly up to it and pulled the
cover over it, and went to sleep.

By-and-by the ogre came home. 'Fee, Fo, Fum,' cried he, 'I smell the
smell of a man. What ill fate has brought him here?' And he looked
through all the rooms, and found nobody. 'Where are you?' he called. 'Do
not be afraid, I will do you no harm.'

But the girl was still silent.

'Come out, I tell you,' repeated the ogre. 'Your life is quite safe. If
you are an old man, you shall be my father. If you are a boy, you shall
be my son. If your years are as many as mine, you shall be my brother.
If you are an old woman, you shall be my mother. If you are a you