Brick Fairy Tales: Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Hansel and Gretel, and More (12 page)

In the twilight of the evening, he clambered down over the wall into the garden of the enchantress,

hastily clutched a handful of rampion,

and took it to his wife.

She at once made herself a salad of it, and ate it with much relish. She, however, liked it so much—

so very much, that the next day she longed for it three times as much as before. If she was to have any rest, her husband must once more descend into the garden.

In the gloom of evening, therefore, he let himself down again;

but when he had clambered down the wall he was terribly afraid,

for he saw the enchantress standing before him.

“How canst thou dare,” said she with angry look, “to descend into my garden and steal my rampion like a thief? Thou shalt suffer for it!”

“Ah,” answered he, “let mercy take the place of justice, I only made up my mind to do it out of necessity. My wife saw your rampion from the window, and felt such a longing for it that she would have died if she had not got some to eat.”

Then the enchantress allowed her anger to be softened, and said to him, “If the case be as thou sayest, I will allow thee to take away with thee as much rampion as thou wilt,

only I make one condition, thou must give me the child which thy wife will bring into the world; it shall be well treated, and I will care for it like a mother.”

The man in his terror consented to everything,

and when the woman was brought to bed,