hearts weep together." At last, tired out with hunger and sorrow, and
the long journey, they crept into a hollow tree, laid themselves down,
and slept till morning.

When they awoke the sun was high in the heavens, and shone brightly into
the hollow tree, so they left their place of shelter and wandered away
in search of water.

"Oh, I am so thirsty!" said the boy. "If we could only find a brook or a
stream." He stopped to listen, and said, "Stay, I think I hear a running
stream." So he took his sister by the hand, and they ran together to
find it.

Now, the stepmother of these poor children was a wicked witch. She had
seen the children go away, and, following them cautiously like a snake,
had bewitched all the springs and streams in the forest. The pleasant
trickling of a brook over the pebbles was heard by the children as they
reached it, and the boy was just stooping to drink, when the sister
heard in the babbling of the brook:

"Whoever drinks of me, a tiger soon will be."

Then she cried quickly, "Stay, brother, stay! do not drink, or you will
become a wild beast, and tear me to pieces."

Thirsty as he was, the brother conquered his desire to drink at her
words, and said, "Dear sister, I will wait till we come to a spring." So
they wandered farther, but as they approached, she heard in the bubbling
spring the words--