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lived happily together for a few years, the king's mother, who was
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a wicked woman, began to slander the young queen, and said to
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the king, this is a common beggar girl whom you have brought
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back with you. Who knows what wicked tricks she practises secretly.
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Even if she be dumb, and not able to speak, she still might
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laugh for once. But those who do not laugh have bad consciences.
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At first the king would not believe it, but the old woman urged this
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so long, and accused her of so many evil things, that at last the
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king let himself be persuaded and sentenced her to death.
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And now a great fire was lighted in the courtyard in which she
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was to be burnt, and the king stood above at the window and
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looked on with tearful eyes, because he still loved her so much.
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And when she was bound fast to the stake, and the fire was licking
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at her clothes with its red tongue, the last instant of the seven
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years expired. Then a whirring sound was heard in the air, and
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twelve ravens came flying towards the place, and sank downwards, and
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when they touched the earth they were her twelve brothers, whom
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she had saved. They tore the fire asunder, extinguished the flames,
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set their dear sister free, and kissed and embraced her. And now
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as she dared to open her mouth and speak, she told the king why she
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had been dumb, and had never laughed. The king rejoiced when
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he heard that she was innocent, and they all lived in great unity
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until their death. The wicked step-mother was taken before the
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judge, and put into a barrel filled with boiling oil and venomous
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snakes, and died an evil death.
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Little brother took his little sister by the hand and said, since
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our mother died we have had no happiness. Our step-mother
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beats us every day, and if we come near her she kicks us away
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with her foot. Our meals are the hard crusts of bread that are left
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over. And the little dog under the table is better off, for she
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often throws it a choice morsel. God pity us, if our mother only
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knew. Come, we will go forth together into the wide world.
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They walked the whole day over meadows, fields, and stony
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places. And when it rained the little sister said, heaven and our
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hearts are weeping together. In the evening they came to a large
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forest, and they were so weary with sorrow and hunger and the
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long walk, that they lay down in a hollow tree and fell asleep.
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The next day when they awoke, the sun was already high in the
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sky, and shone down hot into the tree. Then the brother said,
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sister, I am thirsty. If I knew of a little brook I would go and
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just take a drink. I think I hear one running. The brother got up
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and took the little sister by the hand, and they set off to find
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the brook. But the wicked step-mother was a witch, and had seen how
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the two children had gone away, and had crept after them secretly,
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as witches creep, and had bewitched all the brooks in the forest.
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Now when they found a little brook leaping brightly over the
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stones, the brother was going to drink out of it, but the sister
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heard how it said as it ran, who drinks of me will be a tiger.
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Who drinks of me will be a tiger. Then the sister cried, pray,
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dear brother, do not drink, or you will become a wild beast, and
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tear me to pieces. The brother did not drink, although he was so
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thirsty, but said, I will wait for the next spring.
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When they came to the next brook the sister heard this also say,
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who drinks of me will be a wolf. Who drinks of me will be a wolf.
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Then the sister cried out, pray, dear brother, do not drink,
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or you will become a wolf, and devour me. The brother did not
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drink, and said, I will wait until we come to the next spring, but
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then I must drink, say what you like. For my thirst is too great.
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And when they came to the third brook the sister heard how it
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said as it ran, who drinks of me will be a roebuck. Who drinks
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of me will be a roebuck. The sister said, oh, I pray you, dear
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brother, do not drink, or you will become a roebuck, and run away
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from me. But the brother had knelt down at once by the brook,
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and had bent down and drunk some of the water, and as soon as
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the first drops touched his lips he lay there in the form of a
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young roebuck.
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And now the sister wept over her poor bewitched brother, and
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the little roe wept also, and sat sorrowfully near to her. But at
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last the girl said, be quiet, dear little roe, I will never,
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never leave you.
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Then she untied her golden garter and put it round the roebuck's
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neck, and she plucked rushes and wove them into a soft cord. This
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she tied to the little animal and led it on, and she walked deeper
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and deeper into the forest.
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And when they had gone a very long way they came at last to a
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little house, and the girl looked in. And as it was empty, she
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thought, we can stay here and live. Then she sought for leaves
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and moss to make a soft bed for the roe. And every morning she
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went out and gathered roots and berries and nuts for herself, and
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brought tender grass for the roe, who ate out of her hand, and was
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content and played round about her. In the evening, when the sister
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was tired, and had said her prayer, she laid her head upon the
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roebuck's back - that was her pillow, and she slept softly on it.
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And if only the brother had had his human form it would have been a
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delightful life.
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For some time they were alone like this in the wilderness. But
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it happened that the king of the country held a great hunt in the
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forest. Then the blasts of the horns, the barking of dogs and the
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merry shouts of the huntsmen rang through the trees, and the roebuck
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heard all, and was only too anxious to be there. Oh, said he,
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to his sister, let me be off to the hunt, I cannot bear it any
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longer, and he begged so much that at last she agreed. But, said
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she to him, come back to me in the evening. I must shut my door for
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