Page:History of Cinderella, or, The little glass slipper (3).pdf/16

 so that they will not be able to find their way back: this will bobe [sic] very easy."-"Ah, husband!" cried the poor wife, "you cannot, no you never can consent to be the death of your own children." At last, however, she agreed to what her husband had said, and then went sobbing to bed.

Hop-o'-my-Thumb had been awake all the time; aud overhearing the conversation, he passed the night in thinking what he should do the next morning. He rose early, and ran to the river's side, where he filled his pockets with small white pebbles, and then returned home.

In the morning they all set out, as their father and mother had agreed on; and Hop-o'-my-Thumb did not say a word to either of his brothers about what he had heard. They came to a forest which was so very thick that they could not see each other a few yards off. The fagot-maker set to work, cutting down wood; and the children began to gather all the twigs, to make fagots of them.

When the father and mother saw that the young ones were all very busy, they slipped away, and when the children found themselves alone, they began to cry as loud as they could. Hop-o'-my-Thumb let them cry on; as he had taken care to drop the white pebbles he had in his pocket along all the way he had come. He only said to them, "Never mind it, my lads, follow me, and I will lead you back again."

When they heard this, they left off crying, and followodfollowed [sic] Hop-o'-my-Thumb, who soon brought them home by thothe [sic] very same path which they had come along. At first they had not the courage to go in, but stood at the door to hear what their parents were talking about.

Just as the fagot-maker and his wife had come home without their children, a gentleman of the village sent to pay them two guineas he owed them, which made them quite happy.

ThoThe [sic] fagot-maker sent his wife out in a moment to buy some meat; and as it was a long time since she had made a hearty meal, she bought as much meat as would have been enough for six or eight persons. The truth was, she forget that her children were not at home, when