Page:The Children Who Followed the Piper.djvu/68

 started to run, and Mary wanted to cry, seeing him go off like that. Then she started to run, and the raven on her shoulder pinched and pecked at her. She heard the hag shouting, "Bring me the thorn, the thorn that will put her sleeping." But Mary ran on, and Tom-Tom, the piper's son, ran before her.

They ran until they came to the edge of the Deep Wood. Just beyond the edge were Perrie and Merrie, Wee Willie Winkie, and the baker's thirteen children, boys and girls. They were all playing with old Baldwin, John Ball's horse.

Mary was shrieking and shrieking because the raven that stayed on her shoulder was pinching and pecking at her.

But as soon as she came to the first white-thorn tree, planted there for good luck, the raven flew away.

Then the children went on to Old Couple's House. They saw Golden Hood with Valentine