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It came to pass that the master one day said to her: 'Gretel,

there is a guest coming this evening; prepare me two fowls very

daintily.' 'I will see to it, master,' answered Gretel. She

killed two fowls, scalded them, plucked them, put them on the

spit, and towards evening set them before the fire, that they

might roast. The fowls began to turn brown, and were nearly

ready, but the guest had not yet arrived. Then Gretel called out

to her master: 'If the guest does not come, I must take the fowls

away from the fire, but it will be a sin and a shame if they are

not eaten the moment they are at their juiciest.' The master

said: 'I will run myself, and fetch the guest.' When the master

had turned his back, Gretel laid the spit with the fowls on one

side, and thought: 'Standing so long by the fire there, makes one

sweat and thirsty; who knows when they will come?