the poor man might react poorly to having scissors brandished in his face, particularly when he could not see who was doing it.
"I'm going to cut the sack off your face," I said in a low, clear voice. "Do not move or I shall cut you by mistake." The sack became very still.
With a few adroit snips of my scissors, I freed the man's
face and head and swiftly thrust the scissors under a small stack of firewood which lay nearby.
"Alas!" I sighed when I saw the man's face. My hopes were dashed; 'twas the Prince, his very own self.
Alas, indeed, my lady," he began jabbering as soon as he saw who addressed him. "I am come, at great risk and jeopardy to my life, that very life which is so precious to my people, to set you free, and nowâ" Suddenly his eyes rounded with horror and his jaw dropped agape.
'"Twas you, then, who spake with such aâsuch a ghastly
relish
of fattening me, ME! up for the table? Indeed, it was! Why, 'twas your very voice!" His eye fell upon the human skulls converted to bowls and drinking vessels. He gasped.
"My horse!" he cried out in anguish. "Thou unnatural, depraved female! What hast thou done with my poor horse?"
Tessa, I noted from the corner of my eye, had raised up one of her heads and was observing our discourse. I was therefore unable to speak kindly or give him aught of comfort.
I gestured at the steaming cauldron on the fire.
"As you see, my lord, we have eaten him."
He shut his eyes and groaned. "To think! To think that 'twas once the dearest wish of my heart to make this maid my wife! This, then, is the She who should have been mother of my heir, the first lady of the land! O that I hadâ"
Here he paused perforce, as I thrust a dipper of cattail
mush into his open mouth. I did not wish the Ogresses to know that the Prince and I were acquainted if I could prevent it.
"Monstrous, I say!" he roared, spattering mush all over me. "Do you wish to choke me with your vile potions, Night Hag? Night Hag thou art! I wonder I did never guess that you flew away in order to join these, your hideous sisters."
"Whooo do ye be callin' hideous?" demanded Nellie, beginning to swell like a toad.
This also roused up Tessa's other head. "Shut yer trap or I'll kill ye, here and now, and no more wastin' of good food on ye."
"O, very well, if you say so," he said, silenced by the direct threat. Not, however, for long. "But," he muttered peevishly in a tone which, while lower, was perfectly audible, "I consider that I have been treated very ill, and now to be
eaten
for my pains while attempting to rescue this wicked, ill-bredâOw! Why do you pinch me, Goose Girl? Do I not suffer enough?"
Really, I began to be sorry I had cut the top of the sack off.
I thrust the dipper of cattail mush back into his mouth, as much to quiet him as to nourish him. He sipped in silence, only murmuring in a puzzled voice, "Your hair has grown somewhat since I saw you last, has it not?" as his eyes followed the curving line of my tresses out to the door. I did not trouble myself to answer.
Gradually the Ogresses slumped back down onto the
featherbeds once again, and soon the sound of snoring filled the room. Yet still I dared not speak frankly to the Prince; they slept lightly and I feared would wake at the slightest sound. At length I finished feeding the PrinceâI wished him well-fed when we made our escapeâand stealthily reached my hand under the stack of firewood for the scissors.
"What are you doing, Goose Girl?" demanded the Prince aloud. "What is that which you have in your hand? Scissors?"
By my vertu, if I could have smote him dead on the spot I would have.
Lucinda woke up immediately. "The scissors!" she cried aloud. "Alexandria, g'me those scissors right this very minute."
"In certes, madam," I said, grinding my teeth. "I did but forget."
Casting such an evil eye on the Prince that he visibly recoiled, I got up and restored the scissors to Lucinda.
"Now be off with ye and leave us
"I'm going to cut the sack off your face," I said in a low, clear voice. "Do not move or I shall cut you by mistake." The sack became very still.
With a few adroit snips of my scissors, I freed the man's
face and head and swiftly thrust the scissors under a small stack of firewood which lay nearby.
"Alas!" I sighed when I saw the man's face. My hopes were dashed; 'twas the Prince, his very own self.
Alas, indeed, my lady," he began jabbering as soon as he saw who addressed him. "I am come, at great risk and jeopardy to my life, that very life which is so precious to my people, to set you free, and nowâ" Suddenly his eyes rounded with horror and his jaw dropped agape.
'"Twas you, then, who spake with such aâsuch a ghastly
relish
of fattening me, ME! up for the table? Indeed, it was! Why, 'twas your very voice!" His eye fell upon the human skulls converted to bowls and drinking vessels. He gasped.
"My horse!" he cried out in anguish. "Thou unnatural, depraved female! What hast thou done with my poor horse?"
Tessa, I noted from the corner of my eye, had raised up one of her heads and was observing our discourse. I was therefore unable to speak kindly or give him aught of comfort.
I gestured at the steaming cauldron on the fire.
"As you see, my lord, we have eaten him."
He shut his eyes and groaned. "To think! To think that 'twas once the dearest wish of my heart to make this maid my wife! This, then, is the She who should have been mother of my heir, the first lady of the land! O that I hadâ"
Here he paused perforce, as I thrust a dipper of cattail
mush into his open mouth. I did not wish the Ogresses to know that the Prince and I were acquainted if I could prevent it.
"Monstrous, I say!" he roared, spattering mush all over me. "Do you wish to choke me with your vile potions, Night Hag? Night Hag thou art! I wonder I did never guess that you flew away in order to join these, your hideous sisters."
"Whooo do ye be callin' hideous?" demanded Nellie, beginning to swell like a toad.
This also roused up Tessa's other head. "Shut yer trap or I'll kill ye, here and now, and no more wastin' of good food on ye."
"O, very well, if you say so," he said, silenced by the direct threat. Not, however, for long. "But," he muttered peevishly in a tone which, while lower, was perfectly audible, "I consider that I have been treated very ill, and now to be
eaten
for my pains while attempting to rescue this wicked, ill-bredâOw! Why do you pinch me, Goose Girl? Do I not suffer enough?"
Really, I began to be sorry I had cut the top of the sack off.
I thrust the dipper of cattail mush back into his mouth, as much to quiet him as to nourish him. He sipped in silence, only murmuring in a puzzled voice, "Your hair has grown somewhat since I saw you last, has it not?" as his eyes followed the curving line of my tresses out to the door. I did not trouble myself to answer.
Gradually the Ogresses slumped back down onto the
featherbeds once again, and soon the sound of snoring filled the room. Yet still I dared not speak frankly to the Prince; they slept lightly and I feared would wake at the slightest sound. At length I finished feeding the PrinceâI wished him well-fed when we made our escapeâand stealthily reached my hand under the stack of firewood for the scissors.
"What are you doing, Goose Girl?" demanded the Prince aloud. "What is that which you have in your hand? Scissors?"
By my vertu, if I could have smote him dead on the spot I would have.
Lucinda woke up immediately. "The scissors!" she cried aloud. "Alexandria, g'me those scissors right this very minute."
"In certes, madam," I said, grinding my teeth. "I did but forget."
Casting such an evil eye on the Prince that he visibly recoiled, I got up and restored the scissors to Lucinda.
"Now be off with ye and leave us
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