of the basket with fresh leaves and set out to take the pears to the Kaiser.
It was autumn and the sun struck hot all through the midday hours; so when the boy came at last to a wayside fountain he stopped to drink and to rest in its coolness. A little doubled-up old woman was washing some rags at the fountain and singing a ditty all out of tune. "A witch, I'll be bound," said the boy to himself, "she'll be trying to get my pears, by hook or by crook, but I'll be up to her."
"A fair day, my lad," said the little old wife; "that's a weighty burden you have to carry. What may it be with which you are so heavily laden?"
"A load of sweepings from the road, to see whether I may turn a penny by it," answered the boy, shortly, to stop any further questioning.
"Road-sweepings," repeated the hag, as if she did not believe it. "Belike you don't mean that?"
"But I do mean it," retorted the boy.
"Oh, very well. You will find out when you get to your journey's end." And she went on washing and singing her ditty that was all out of tune.
"She means something," said the boy to himself, "that's clear. But at all events my basket is safe. I haven't even let her look at the fruit with her evil eye, so there's no harm done." But he felt uneasy, and as he could not rest, he got up and went on his way.
