us out. Do take us
out or we shall soon be burnt!"

Then, being a kind, obliging little girl, she stopped, put down her
bundle, took out the bread, and went on her way saying:

"You will be more comfortable now."

After a time she came to a cow lowing beside an empty pail, and the cow
said to her:

"Little girl! Little girl! Milk me! Please milk me! Seven years have I
been waiting, but no one has come to milk me!"

So the kind girl stopped, put down her bundle, milked the cow into the
pail, and went on her way saying:

"Now you will be more comfortable."

By and by she came to an apple tree so laden with fruit that its
branches were nigh to break, and the apple tree called to her:

"Little girl! Little girl! Please shake my branches. The fruit is so
heavy I can't stand straight!"

Then the kind girl stopped, put down her bundle, and shook the branches
so that the apples fell off, and the tree could stand straight. Then she
went on her way saying:

"You will be more comfortable now."

So she journeyed on till she came to a house where an old witch-woman
lived. Now this witch-woman wanted a servant-maid, and promised good
wages. Therefore the girl agreed to stop with her and try how she liked
service. She had to sweep the floor, keep the house clean and tidy, the
fire bright and cheery. But there was one thing the witch-woman said she
must never do; and that was look up the chimney!

[Illustration: "Tree of mine! O Tree of mine! Have you seen my naughty
little maid?"]

"If you do," said the witch-woman, "something will fall down on you, and
you will come to a bad end." Well! the girl swept, and dusted, and
made up the fire; but ne'er a penny of wages did she see. Now the girl
wanted to go home as she did not like witch-service; for the witch used
to have boiled babies for supper, and bury the bones under some stones
in the garden. But she did not like to go home penniless; so she stayed
on, sweeping, and dusting, and doing her work, just as if she was
pleased. Then one day, as she was sweeping up the hearth, down tumbled
some soot, and, without remembering she was forbidden to look up the
chimney, she looked up to see where the soot came from. And, lo and
behold! a big bag of gold fell plump into her lap.

Now the witch happened to be out on one of her witch errands; so the
girl thought it a fine opportunity to be off home.

So she kilted up her petticoats and started to run home; but she had
only gon