Page:The Children Who Followed the Piper.djvu/66

 said the hag, lifting her head above her staff and fixing her eyes upon Mary.

"Yes, ma'am, I saw such a one," said Mary.

"Who is she? Who is she?" said the hag.

"Golden Hood has the whiteness of the snow and the redness of the berries and the blackness of the raven," said Mary.

"Golden Hood has—has she?" cried the hag, and it seemed to Mary that she was about to jump out of the hollow of the tree. She was greatly afraid.

"Yes, Golden Hood has," said Mary, trying to get herself away.

"Oh, my dear little girl," said the hag, "don't try to go from me. Remember that you are very close to the Dark Forest and you might stray into it, and then what would become of you? Oh, my dear little girl, stay here until you do something for me."

Then the raven that was pecking at the berries flew up on her shoulder, and he looked at Mary with a very wicked eye.