country
house among the woods, that she might with the more ease gratify her
horrible longing. Some few days afterward she went thither herself, and
said to her head cook:--

"I intend to eat little Dawn for my dinner to-morrow."

"O! madam!" cried the head cook.

"I will have it so," replied the Queen (and this she spoke in the tone
of an Ogress who had a strong desire to eat fresh meat), "and will eat
her with a sharp sauce."

The poor man, knowing very well that he must not play tricks with
Ogresses, took his great knife and went up into little Dawn's chamber.
She was then nearly four years old, and came up to him, jumping and
laughing, to put her arms round his neck, and ask him for some
sugar-candy. Upon which he began to weep, the great knife fell out of
his hand, and he went into the back yard and killed a little lamb, and
dressed it with such good sauce that his mistress assured him she had
never eaten anything so good in her life. He had at the same time taken
up little Dawn and carried her to his wife, to conceal her in his
lodging at the end of the courtyard.

Eight days afterwards the wicked Queen said to the chief cook, "I will
sup upon little Day."

He answered not a word, being resolved to cheat her again as he had done
before. He went to find little Day, and saw him with a foil in his hand,
with which he was fencing with a great monkey: the child was then only
three years of age. He took him up in his arms and carried him to his
wife, that she might conceal him in her chamber along with his sister,
and instead of little Day he served up a young and very tender kid,
which the Ogress found to be wonderfully good.

All had gone well up to now; but one evening this wicked Queen said to
her chief cook:--

"I will eat the Queen with the same sauce I had with her children."

Now the poor chief cook was in despair and could not imagine how to
deceive her again. The young Queen was over twenty years old, not
reckoning the hundred years she had been asleep: and how to find
something to take her place greatly puzzled him. He then decided, to
save his own life, to cut the Queen's throat; and going up into her
chamber, with intent to do it at once, he put himself into as great fury
as he possibly could, and came into the young Queen's room with his
dagger in his hand. He would not, however, deceive her, but told her,
with a great deal of respect, the orders he had received from the
Queen-mother.

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