But Peter would not hear of putting the child out-of-doors and so Greta lived with Peter and Martha and grew up with Robert.
Poor little Greta had anything but a happy life, for Martha treated her kindly only when Peter was in sight, and that was seldom.
Robert, seeing that his mother did not treat Greta well, began to order her to wait upon him as soon as he was old enough and treated her as a servant.
Greta had to weed the garden and bring in the water and the wood. She had to wash the dishes and make the beds and do all the work excepting when Peter was at home.
One day when Peter was going to the woods he told Robert to chop a pile of wood in the yard and have it finished by the time he came home.
When Peter was out of sight Robert told Greta to chop the wood. “That is what you are here for—to do the work,” said Robert. “You would have been eaten up by the bears if we had not taken you in. Now go to work and chop that wood.”
Greta began to cry and said she could not handle the ax; she was too small. But Martha boxed her ears and told her she should not have any dinner if she did not do as Robert told her.
Greta went to the woodpile and picked up the ax, but it was no use. She could not chop the wood. And fearing a beating if she did not do it, Greta ran away. On and on she ran until she came to a turn in the road which led into a forest. Here she decided to stop for the night, and she was just lying down by a rock when she heard a pitiful “me-ow.”
Looking in the bushes close by, Greta saw a big black cat holding up one paw as though it was hurt. “Poor pussy!” said Greta, taking the cat in her arms. “You look as unhappy as I feel. Let me bind up your paw.”
Greta tore off a piece of her dress and bound up the cat’s paw, and then, to her surprise, the black cat spoke to her.