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It was not long before the witch came striding up towards them,

and said to the musician: 'Dear musician, may I pluck that

beautiful flower for myself?' 'Oh, yes,' he replied, 'I will play

to you while you do it.' As she was hastily creeping into the

hedge and was just going to pluck the flower, knowing perfectly

well who the flower was, he began to play, and whether she would

or not, she was forced to dance, for it was a magical dance. The

faster he played, the more violent springs was she forced to

make, and the thorns tore her clothes from her body, and pricked

her and wounded her till she bled, and as he did not stop, she

had to dance till she lay dead on the ground.