Page:The disobedient kids and other Czecho-Slovak fairy tales.pdf/35



Once upon a time there was a poor father, who had two children, John and Mary. His daily work was to cut wood in the forest. He was very, very poor. He had no one to take care of the children. They were all alone. As he was away all day, he felt that he should marry again, so that the children should have a mother's care.

But the stepmother proved to be a very cruel, neglectful woman, who did not want to work. Not only did she not love the children, but she wanted to get rid of them, so she gave her husband no peace. She made up all kinds of lies about the wickedness of the children and said that he must get rid of them. She commanded him to take them to the woods and leave them there.