صفحة 379 من 626

'Mother,' said the little daughter again, 'may not brother have

one too?' The mother was angry at this, but she answered, 'Yes,

when he comes out of school.'

Just then she looked out of the window and saw him coming, and it

seemed as if an evil spirit entered into her, for she snatched

the apple out of her little daughter's hand, and said, 'You shall

not have one before your brother.' She threw the apple into the

chest and shut it to. The little boy now came in, and the evil

spirit in the wife made her say kindly to him, 'My son, will you

have an apple?' but she gave him a wicked look. 'Mother,' said

the boy, 'how dreadful you look! Yes, give me an apple.' The

thought came to her that she would kill him. 'Come with me,' she

said, and she lifted up the lid of the chest; 'take one out for

yourself.' And as he bent over to do so, the evil spirit urged

her, and crash! down went the lid, and off went the little boy's

head. Then she was overwhelmed with fear at the thought of what

she had done. 'If only I can prevent anyone knowing that I did

it,' she thought.