living, and all. Sometimes I think she whips us just to get our minds
off our stomachs. You know, a supper of broth without any bread--and
that's just what it is--is about as bad as nothing at all. But if
you've been whipped soundly you forget about being hungry. You think
about running away, or something like that. And the next thing you
know it's morning."

Everychild still felt very uncomfortable. "But how does she manage
about breakfast?" he asked.

"Oh, she has to feed us well in the morning--to keep us from starving,"
explained the first son.

Everychild nodded as if the matter had been made perfectly clear. And
then the Old Woman cried out quite alarmingly, "Are you coming, or
shall I have to fetch you?"

Several of the children replied to this: "We're coming!" Nevertheless
they did not go immediately. The first daughter would not go without
saying to Everychild, "Of course we ought to invite you to have supper
with us--but you see it isn't quite like a regular supper." She
blushed painfully.

Everychild reassured her immediately. "Don't think of it," he said.

The second son also had something else to say. "I suppose there aren't
so many of you at your house?" he asked.

"So many children?" replied Everychild. "No. Not any, now. I was the
only child."