Of course you must not suppose that all the fathers and mothers
who had lost children made no attempts to find them, but the
forest was so large, and the witch was so cunning in knowing
exactly where they were going to search, that it was very easy
for her to keep out of the way. Besides, there was always the
chance that the children might have been eaten by wolves, of
which large herds roamed about in winter.

One day the old witch happened to want a little boy, so she threw
her ball in the direction of the hunters' huts. A child was
standing outside, shooting at a mark with his bow and arrows, but
the moment he saw the ball, which was made of glass whose blues
and greens and whites, all frosted over, kept changing one into
the other, he flung down his bow, and stooped to pick the ball
up. But as he did so it began to roll very gently downhill. The
boy could not let it roll away, when it was so close to him, so
he gave chase. The ball seemed always within his grasp, yet he
could never catch it; it went quicker and quicker, and the boy
grew more and more excited. That time he almost touched it--no,
he missed it by a hair's breadth! Now, surely, if he gave a
spring he could get in front of it! He sprang forward, tripped
and fell, and found himself in the witch's house!

'Welcome! welcome! grandson!' said she; 'get up and rest
yourself, for you have had a long walk, and I am sure you must be
tired!' So the boy sat down, and ate some food which she gave him
in a bowl. It was quite different from anything he had tasted
before, and he thought it was delicious. When he had eaten up
every bit, the witch asked him if he had ever fasted.