Back went Catherine, thinking, "Ah! Fred will like something else to eat. Butter and cheese will not please; I will bring with me a bag of dried apples and a mug of vinegar to drink." When she had put these things together she bolted the upper half of the door, but the under door she raised up and carried away on her shoulder, thinking that certainly the house was well protected if she took such good care of the door! Catherine walked along now very leisurely, for, said she to herself, "Fred will have all the longer rest!" and as soon as she reached him she gave him the door, saying, "There, Fred, now you have the house door you can take care of the house yourself." "Oh! my goodness," exclaimed the husband, "what a clever wife I have! She has bolted the top door, but brought away the bottom part, where any one can creep through! Now it is too late to go back to the house, but since you brought the door here you may carry it onward." "The door I will willingly carry," replied Catherine, "but the apples and the vinegar will be too heavy, so I shall hang them on the door and make that carry them!" Soon after they came into a wood and looked about for the thieves, but they, could not find them, and when it became dark they climbed up into a tree to pass the night. But scarcely had they done this when up came the fellows who carried away what should not go with them, and find things before they are lost. They laid themselves down right under the tree upon which Fred and Catherine were, and making a fire, prepared to share their booty. Then Fred slipped down on the other side, and collected stones, with which he climbed the tree again, to beat the thieves with. The stones, however, did them no harm, for the fellows called out, "Ah! it will soon be morning, for the wind is shaking down the chestnuts." All this while Catherine still had the door upon her shoulder, and, as it pressed very heavily, she thought the dried apples were in fault, and said to Fred, "I must throw down these apples." "No, Catherine," said he, "not now, they might discover us." "Ah, I must, though, they are so heavy." "Well, then, do it in the hangman's name!" cried Fred. As they fell down the rogues said, "Ah! the birds are pulling off the leaves." A little while after Catherine said again, "Oh! Fred, I must pour out the vinegar, it is so heavy." "No, no!" said he, "it will discover us." "Ah! but I must, Fred, it is very heavy," said Catherine. "Well, then, do it in the hangman's name!" cried Fred. So she poured out the vinegar, and as it dropped on them the thieves said, "Ah! the dew is beginning to fall." Not many minutes after Catherine found the door was still quite as heavy, and said again to Fred, "Now I must throw down this door." "No, Catherine," said he, "that would certainly discover us." "Ah! Fred, but I must; it presses me so terribly." "No, Catherine dear! do hold it fast," said Fred. "There--it is gone!" said she.