Page:Sleeping beauty in the wood (2).pdf/16

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THE SLEEPING BEAUTY

see your children again, but then you shall go with me to my lodgings, where I have concealed them, and I shall deceive the Queen once more, by giving her another young kid in your stead.

Upon this, he forthwith conducted her to his chamber, where leaving her to embrace her children, and cry aloud with them, he went and dressed a young kid, which the Queen had for supper, and devoured it with the same appetite, as though it had been the young Queen.

Now was she exceedingly delighted with this unheard of cruelty, and she had invented a story to tell the King at his return, how the mad wolves had eaten up the Queen his wife, with her two children.

One evening some time after, as she was, according to her usual custom, rambling about the court and yards of the palace, to see if she could smell any fresh meat, she heard in a ground room, little Day crying, for his mother was going to whip him, because he had been guilty of some fault, and she heard at the same time, little Morning soliciting for pardon for her brother.

The Ogress presently knew the voice of the Queen, and her children, and being quite in a rage to think she had been thus deceived, she commanded, the next morning, by break of day, (in a most horrible voice, which made every one tremble) that they should