ered with rings threatening the children. Her smooth face was red with anger. The children were frightened and ran off crying.
The Rose-bush breathed deep with indignation and her breath blew sweeter perfume towards the lady's face. She stepped closer. "Ah, the beautiful roses. I had better pick them, otherwise the rabble from the streets will steal them. And they are such an expensive kind."
At this the Rose-bush became enraged, so that her blossoms blazed a fiery red. "If I were only strong as the wind," thought she, "I would get hold of this evil woman and shake her so that she would become deaf and blind. Such a common creature has a whole garden full of the most gorgeous flowers and begrudges the children for two paltry roses. But you shall not have even one of my blossoms, you bad woman, just wait."
And as the woman bent down to pick the flowers, the Rose-bush hit her in the face with a twig, stretching out all her thorns like a cat stretches out its claws, and scratched up the woman's face.
| She screamed aloud. The woman did not want to cease from her task, but the Rose-bush was as willful as she; | 
|
wherever the hand of the woman reached, a large thorn sprang out and scratched her till she bled. |
