nd
carried Smolicheck home on his antlers.

When they got home he put Smolicheck across his knee and gave him
something--you know what!--to make him remember not to disobey next
time. Smolicheck cried and he said he never, never, never would open the
door again no matter how sweetly the wood maidens begged.

For some days no one came to the door. Then again one afternoon there
was a knocking and sweet voices called out:

_"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door
Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!
We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm,
Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!
So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!"_

But Smolicheck pretended he didn't hear. Then when the little wood
maidens began to shake and to shiver and to cry with the cold and to beg
him to open the door just a little crack so that they could warm their
hands, he said to them:

"No, I won't open the door, not even a teeny weeny crack, because if I
do you'll push in as you did before and catch me and drag me off!"

The wicked little wood maidens said:

"Oh no, Smolicheck, we wouldn't do that! We'd never think of such a
thing! And besides, if we did take you with us, you'd have a much better
time with us than you have here, shut up in a little house all alone,
while Golden Antlers is off having a good time by himself. We'd give you
pretty toys and we'd play with you and you'd be very happy."

Just think: Smolicheck listened to them until he believed what they
said! Then he opened the door a little crack and instantly all those
naughty little wood maidens pushed into the room, seized Smolicheck, and
dragged him off.

They told him they would kill him if he cried for help, but nevertheless
Smolicheck called out with all his might:

_"Oh, dear Golden Antlers, wherever you are
In valley or mountain or pasture afar,
Come quick! Don't delay!
The wicked wood maidens are dragging away
Your little Smolicheck!
Come quick! Don't delay!"_

But this time Golden Antlers was far away and didn't hear him. So no one
came to help Smolicheck and the wood maidens carried him off to their
cave.

There, instead of playing with him, they tormented him and teased him
and made faces at him. But they did give him all he wanted to eat. In
fact they stuffed him with food, especially sweets. Then every day they
would pinch him and say to each other:

"Sister, do you think h