So she promised she would leave that room alone, and the grey horse said, "Remember, if you are a good girl while I am away I will marry you before very long," and off he cantered.
The girl went into the grandest kitchen she had ever seen, and made ready a fine dinner; and then she thought she would see what the Palace was like; so she opened room after room, and each seemed more magnificent than the last.
Then, of course, she began to think about the forbidden room.
"I wonder what can be in it! If I give just one peep, who will be the wiser, and where will be the harm?" she thought. So she turned the key and opened the door a little way. But what she saw put the fear on her so that she fell into the room on her hands and knees; and when she was able to rise, her hands were bloody all over! For the room was full of poor dead ladies---a fearsome sight indeed it was.
She tried to wash the blood off her hands, but she could not get the stains out.
"Oh dear, oh dear ! " she sobbed in terror, "what am I to do?"
Then there came a small lean cat to her feet, and it said: "Give me a plate of milk---even a little drop---and I will lick the hands of you until they are clean."
But she said: "And if good warm water will not take out the stains, is it likely that a cat's tongue will? Shoo! Off you go! Ugly little beast!"
As she spoke, home came the grey horse himself, all pleased with his hunting, and asked for his food. And as he ate he said: "Well, were you a good woman today?" |
