Come quick! Don’t delay!”
This time by good luck the deer was not far away. When he heard Smolicheck’s cry, he bounded up, drove the little wood maidens off, and carried Smolicheck home on his antlers.
When they got home he put Smolicheck across his knee and gave him something—you know what!—to make him remember not to disobey next time. Smolicheck cried and he said he never, never, never would open the door again no matter how sweetly the wood maidens begged.
For some days no one came to the door. Then again one afternoon there was a knocking and sweet voices called out:
“Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door
Just a wee little crack of two fingers—no more!
We’ll reach in our cold little hands to get warm,
Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!
So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!”
But Smolicheck pretended he didn’t hear. Then when the little wood maidens began to shake and to shiver and to cry with the cold and to beg him to open the door just a little crack so that they could warm their hands, he said to them:
