And Black Caroline said, 'Very well!'
But, at dinner time, when White Caroline was about to eat from her plate, she took her by the arm and said:
'White Caroline, I love you very much, but you must not tell mother; she wishes your death, and she has put poison in your meat. Tell her that we will eat our dinner outside the house, so that the cat may not eat the birds and so that the crows may not eat the grain. Then you can throw your portion away.'
Then White Caroline, full of joy, took Black Caroline in her little arms and they went out together.
A little while after they heard a rat-a-tat at the garden door.
'Here! Black Caroline! Are you there?'
It was their mother calling from the inside of the house.
'Yes, my dear little mother, I am here!' said White Caroline.
And their mother was in a great rage because White Caroline was not dead. Then she went out to see if Black Caroline was still alive. And she had still her plate full of meat, and she was shedding tears of blood, because she had such a bad headache. And their mother could not understand how it was that White Caroline was not dead, and she boiled with rage.
And one day it happened that a tradesman was passing the house with sweets and cakes in his van, and when he saw White Caroline, he showed her all the sweets and cakes and nuts. White Caroline was so happy, because the tradesman gave her nuts and sweets for nothing, just because she was so pretty. But Black Caroline, who was coming down the winding stairs, came out to see.