everything ready to boil Buttercup; but when she took the sack, and
thought she was going to turn out Buttercup into the pot, down
plumped the stone and made a hole in the bottom of the pot, so that
the water ran out and quenched the fire. Then the old hag was in a
dreadful rage, and said, 'If he makes himself ever so heavy next
time, he shan't take me in again.' The third day everything went just
as it had gone twice before; Goldtooth began to bark, and Buttercup's
mother said to him:

'Do run out and see what our dog is barking at.'

So out he went, but he soon came back crying out:

'Heaven save us! Here comes the old hag again with her head under her
arm, and a sack at her back.'

'Jump under the kneading-trough and hide', said his mother.

'Good day!' said the hag, as she came in at the door; 'is your
Buttercup at home to-day?'

'You're very kind to ask after him', said his mother; 'but he's out
in the wood with his father, shooting ptarmigan.'

'What a bore now', said the old hag; 'here have I got such a
beautiful little silver fork for him.'

'Pip, pip! here I am', said Buttercup, as he came out from under the
kneading-trough.