Page:The Children Who Followed the Piper.djvu/142

 she was halfway back the hag's son came into his mother's house.

"Why did you not hurry back?" said the hag to him. "The maiden was here who is as white as snow, and as black as the raven's wing, and as red as red berries. Why were you not back? I tried to keep her, but she got away from me and she is halfway back ere this."

When her son heard this he put on his iron shoes and he went following after Golden Hood. He went very swiftly, and it was not long before she heard him coming behind her.

She ran and ran, and she was at the eagles' nest when she felt his breath behind her. She pushed at the seventh door and went in. And then she closed the seventh door, and she fastened it tightly behind her.

The hag's son came to the door. He tried to push it open, but the iron door would not open for him. He put his fingers through the crack, and Golden Hood saw his long nails sticking through. Then he knew he could not get in; he