The Goosegirl, clinging to him tenderly, felt his despair, saw his eyes fill with tears. Crying out that she was not ill, but was well and strong, she rose to her feet. To cheer him, she tripped lightly to and fro, singing a gay little song. Faster and faster twinkled her little feet, brighter and brighter grew her smiles. But weaker and weaker became her voice, paler and paler her face, until she fell, fainting, into the snow. Then the King's Son rushed to her and took her in his arms. He wrapped his cloak about her and carried her back to the mound. She opened her eyes and smiled. "King! My King!" she whispered. Like a flash the King's Son remembered his crown. He opened the bundle and took it out. "Do not sell your crown, O King!" murmured the Goosegirl. "I will! I must!" replied the King's Son. "It will bring you bread." He arose hastily, broke the shining crown into pieces, and ran toward the hut. Rap! Rap! Rap! "Let me in!" he cried impatiently. "Do you want to break down the door?" replied the Broom-maker, appearing at the window. "I care not," answered the King's Son. "Here is gold. Now will you give me bread?" Gold? The greedy eyes of the Broom-maker gave the glittering fragments one glance. Then he called the Wood-cutter. And they whispered, and they searched all through the miserable hut until they found the poisoned bread, the foul-smelling bread, which the Goosegirl had made as the Witch had directed on that bright summer day long, long ago. With it in their hands they ran to the window. They handed it to the King's Son, and he gave them gold, his golden crown, in its stead. The King's Son snatched the loaf and ran joyfully toward the mound and fell at the Goosegirl's feet, crying: "I'm bringing bread, dear one! bread! Take it! Eat it!" "Not I alone," answered the Goosegirl. "You, too." So they broke the bread in two, and, laughing happily, they ate it eagerly. They ate it all to its bitter, bitter end. Then, clasped in each other's arms, they lay down to sleep and dreamed of rosy clouds of glory wafting them toward sunny lands of everlasting bliss; and dreaming, slept and--knew no more. And the snowflakes fell softly, silently, and covered them with a shining robe of fleeciest white. A little later, the Fiddler and the little pure-hearted girl, followed by a troop of children, entered the glade, all seeking, still seeking with eyes of faith, for the rightful King and Queen. As they approached the snow-covered mound the snow suddenly ceased falling; and the sunset glow from the west shone down and revealed the Kingly Children asleep forevermore. [Illustration] HAENSEL AND GRETEL I