e a dark starless night-sky.

We will leave Elsie in her trouble, and go to the village to see what is
taking place at her father's house, to which the clay image was sent for
the stepmother to beat in Elsie's stead. It is well known that a wicked
woman does not improve with age. It sometimes happens that a wild youth
becomes a quiet lamb in his old age; but if a girl whose heart is bad
assumes the matron's cap, she becomes like a raging wolf in her old
days. The stepmother tortured the clay image like a firebrand from hell
both day and night, but she could not hurt the impassive creature, whose
body was impervious to pain. If the husband endeavoured to protect his
child, she beat him too, as a reward for his attempts at peace-making.
One day the stepmother had again beaten her clay daughter terribly, and
threatened to kill her. In her fury she seized the clay image by the
throat with both hands, and was going to strangle it, when a black snake
glided hissing from the child's mouth and bit the stepmother in the
tongue, so that she fell dead without uttering a sound. When the husband
returned home in the evening, he found the dead and swollen body of his
wife lying on the floor, but his daughter was nowhere to be found. He
cried out, and some of the villagers assembled. They had heard a great
noise in the house about noon, but as this was an almost daily
occurrence, no one had gone in. In the afternoon all was quiet, but no
one had seen the daughter. The body of the dead woman was washed and
shrouded, and peas were boiled in salt for those who should watch the
dead during the night.[145] The weary man went to his room to rest, and
sincerely thanked his stars that he was rid of this firebrand from hell.
He found three salt herrings and a piece of bread on the table, which he
ate, and then went to bed. Next morning he was found dead in bed, with
his body swollen up like that of the woman. A few days afterwards they
were carried to the grave, where they could do each other no more harm.
The peasants troubled themselves no further concerning the vanished
daughter.

Elsie did not close her eyes all night. She wept and lamented the
necessity of parting with her happiness so soon and so unexpectedly. In
the morning the lady placed a gold seal-ring on Elsie's finger, and hung
a small golden casket round her neck. Then she called the old man,
pointed to Elsie with her hand, and took leave of her in the same
gesture. Elsie was ju