Blair Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 2

THE WIDOW AND HER DAUGHTERS. 267
tliey lay do^vn that night. Early in the morning he
was going to hunt, and he said to her that she should
open every chamber inside but one, and " by all she
ever saw" not to open that one. She opened every
chamber till she came to the little one, and because she
thought " What might be in that one more than the
rest that she might not open it T' She opened it, and it
was full of dead gentlewomen, and her own sister
amongst them. She went dowai to the knee in blood.
She came out, and she was cleaning herself, and the
Httle cat came round about, and she said to her, " If
thou wilt give me a tiny drop of milk I will clean thy
foot as well as it ever was." " Thou ! ugly beast !
begone. Dost thou think that I will not clean it my-
self better than thou f " Thou A^dlt see," said the cat,
"what will happen to thee when himself comes home."
"When he came she set down the dinner, and they
sat at it. Said he — " Wert thou a good w^oman to-
day ?" " I was," said she. " Let me see thy foot,
and I will tell thee whether thou wert or wert not."
She let him see the foot that was clean. " Let me see
the other one," said he. She let him see it. " Oh !
ho !" said he, and he took the axe and took her head
off. He lay down that night. Early on the mor-
row, said the youngest one to her mother, as she
wove a stocking — " I will go out with my stocking to-
day, and I will watch the gray horse. I will see what
happened to my two sisters, and I will return to tell
you." " Do," said her mother, " and see thou dost not
stay away. She went out, and the horse came. She
struck the stocking on the horse. The stocking stuck
to the horse, and the hand stuck to the stocking. They
went away, and they reached the green hill. He called
out as usual, and they got in. He warmed water for
her feet, and made a soft bed for her limbs, and they