366 Collectanea.
They come back and begin to weep and cry, saying — *' Alas ! alas ! The staff is here, the cloak is here, but no Papa is here ! "
Again they watch and wait, and at last they rise to search once more. One takes the cloak, and the other the staff, and they wander about lost in the woods. They go, and they go, until they reach a spot where they see a hollow made by the print of a horse's hoof, and it is full of rain water. The boy cries, — " Sister, I am thirsty." His sister replies, — " Do not drink, or you will turn into a horse."
They go, and they go, until they reach a spot where there is the print of the foot of an ox. The brother cries, — "Sister, I am thirsty." His sister says, — " Do not drink ; you will turn into an ox."
They go, and they go, and they reach the print of a buffalo's foot. The brother cries, — "Sister, I am thirsty." The sister says, — " Do not drink ; you will turn into a buffalo-calf."
They go, and go, and reach the print of a bear's foot. The brother cries, — "Sister, I am thirsty." The sister says, — "Do not drink ; you will turn into a bear's cub."
They go, and go, and reach the print of a hog's foot. The brother says, — "Sister, I am thirsty." The sister says, — " Do not drink ; you will turn into a hog."
They go, and go, and reach the print of a wolf's foot. The brother says, — " Sister, I am thirsty." The sister says, — " Do not drink ; you will turn into a wolf."
They go, and go, and reach the print of a lamb's foot. The brother says, — " Sister, I am thirsty." The sister says, — " Do not drink; you will turn into a lamb." The brother cries, — " Sister, have mercy ; I am dying for a drink," The sister says, — "What shall I do? I give it up. Drink, if you wish; but you will turn into a lamb." Then the brother drinks and turns into a lamb, and follows his sister, bleating as he goes. They walk on, and on, and finally reach home.
One day the mother, being with child, ^ says to her husband, — " Bring your lamb and kill it, that I may eat." The sister tried every means to save her brother, and at last escaped with him to
- Every wish expressed by an expectant mother must be gratified, lest her
child be marked with the object refused.
