Northern mythology

238 NETHERLANDISH TRADITIONS.
not tasted food. The man was prudent and said "
: No,
go away, I ^U give you nothing/^ But the wife, who had
a tender heart, entreated her husband so long, that at last
he gave the crone a piece of bread.
Scarcely had the wife with her child re-entered the
apartment, when the infant was snatched from her by invisible
hands, and dashed against the ceiling. On falling
to the ground, no one thought it had escaped with its
life. The woman at the same instant received a shock,
which threw her into a corner. All cried and screamed.
The man ran to the priest, beseeching him to aid them
speedily. The good pastor came instantly, but pronounced
both mother and child beyond all help ; and so it proved^
as both died within a week.
A WITCH BURNT.
The castle of Erendegen was so awfully haunted, that
it would not have been possible, with all the gold in the
world, to prevail on any one of the peasants of the village
to pass a single night in it.
At last, however, a man came
to the place who was known by the name of bold Jan,
who offered to go to the castle, and stay any length of
time, requiring only to be furnished with everything necessary
for the frying of pancakes. This was promised,
and Jan in the evening proceeded to the castle.
In one of the best rooms he made a fire and began
busily to fry, when the door opened, and in walked a black
cat, and sat down before the fire, as if for the purpose of
warming herself. She then asked Jan what he was doing.
" I am frying pancakes, my little friend,^^ said Jan, and
the words were hardly out
of his mouth, when seven cats
entered at the same time, one of which appeared to be the
superior. These likewise asked Jan what he was doing,
'^ and Jan again answered : I am frying pancakes." The
cats then taking each othcr^s paw began to dance round