[Illustration:  “Tree of mine!  O Tree of mine!  Have you seen my naughty little maid?”]

“If you do,” said the witch-woman, “something will fall down on you, and you will come to a bad end.”  Well! the girl swept, and dusted, and made up the fire; but ne’er a penny of wages did she see.  Now the girl wanted to go home as she did not like witch-service; for the witch used to have boiled babies for supper, and bury the bones under some stones in the garden.  But she did not like to go home penniless; so she stayed on, sweeping, and dusting, and doing her work, just as if she was pleased.  Then one day, as she was sweeping up the hearth, down tumbled some soot, and, without remembering she was forbidden to look up the chimney, she looked up to see where the soot came from.  And, lo and behold! a big bag of gold fell plump into her lap.

Now the witch happened to be out on one of her witch errands; so the girl thought it a fine opportunity to be off home.

So she kilted up her petticoats and started to run home; but she had only gone a little way when she heard the witch-woman coming after her on her broomstick.  Now the apple tree she had helped to stand straight happened to be quite close; so she ran to it and cried: 

  “Apple tree!  Apple tree, hide me
   So the old witch can’t find me,
   For if she does she’ll pick my bones,
   And bury me under the garden stones.”

Then the apple tree said, “Of course I will.  You helped me to stand straight, and one good turn deserves another.”

So the apple tree hid her finely in its green branches; and when the witch flew past saying: 

  “Tree of mine!  O Tree of mine! 
   Have you seen my naughty little maid
   With a willy willy wag and a great big bag,
   She’s stolen my money—­all I had?”

The apple tree answered: 

  “No, mother dear,
   Not for seven year!”

So the witch flew on the wrong way, and the girl got down, thanked the tree politely, and started again.  But just as she got to where the cow was standing beside the pail, she heard the witch coming again, so she ran to the cow and cried: 

  “Cow!  Cow, please hide me
   So the witch can’t find me;
   If she does she’ll pick my bones,
   And bury me under the garden stones!”

“Certainly I will,” answered the cow.  “Didn’t you milk me and make me comfortable?  Hide yourself behind me and you’ll be quite safe.”

And when the witch flew by and called to the cow: 

  “O Cow of mine!  Cow of mine! 
   Have you seen my naughty little maid
   With a willy willy wag and a great big bag,
   Who stole my money—­all that I had?”

She just said politely: 

  “No, mother dear,
   Not for seven year!”

Then the old witch went on in the wrong direction, and the girl started afresh on her way home; but just as she got to where the oven stood, she heard that horrid old witch coming behind her again; so she ran as fast as she could to the oven and cried: