mself was watching over
her. There was great joy on both sides, and they were happy for many
days.

Now she began to think how she never minded her husband leaving her in
the morning, and how she never found him neglecting to give her a sweet
drink out of a gold cup just as she was going to bed.

One night she contrived not to drink any of it, though she pretended to
do so; and she was wakeful enough in the morning, and saw her husband
passing out through a panel in the wainscot, though she kept her eyelids
nearly closed. The next night she got a few drops of the sleepy posset
that she saved the evening before put into her husband's night drink,
and that made him sleep sound enough. She got up after midnight, passed
through the panel, and found a Beautiful brown bear's hide hanging in
the corner. Then she stole back, and went down to the parlour fire, and
put the hide into the middle of it till it was all fine ashes. She then
lay down by her husband, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and fell asleep.

If she was to live a hundred years she'd never forget how she wakened
next morning, and found her husband looking down on her with misery and
anger in his face. 'Unhappy woman,' said he, 'you have separated us for
ever! Why hadn't you patience for five years? I am now obliged, whether
I like or no, to go a three days' journey to the witch's castle, and
marry her daughter. The skin that was my guard you have burned it, and
the egg-wife that gave you the counsel was the witch herself. I won't
reproach you: your punishment will be severe without it. Farewell for
ever!'

He kissed her for the last time, and was off the next minute, walking
as fast as he could. She shouted after him, and then seeing there was no
use, she dressed herself and pursued him. He never stopped, nor stayed,
nor looked back, and still she kept him in sight; and when he was on the
hill she was in the hollow, and when he was in the hollow she was on
the hill. Her life was almost leaving her, when, just as the sun was
setting, he turned up a lane, and went into a little house. She crawled
up after him, and when she got inside there was a beautiful little boy
on his knees, and he kissing and hugging him. 'Here, my poor darling,'
says he, 'is your eldest child, and there,' says he, pointing to a woman
that was looking on with a smile on her face, 'is the eagle that carried
him away.' She forgot all her sorrows in a moment, hugging her child,
and laughing and