“‘Kill her, I tell you.’
“‘No need to kill her.’
“‘Kill her!’
“‘No!’
“Then they came in. The woman, who was no fool, shuts her eyes and pretends to be asleep. She sets to work to sleep like a child, with her hand on her heart, and takes to breathing like a cherub. The man opens the lantern and shines the light straight into the eyes of the sleeping old woman—she does not move an eyelash, she is in such terror for her neck.
“‘She is sleeping like a log; you can see that quite well,’ so says the tall one.
“‘Old women are so cunning!’ answers the short man. ‘I will kill her. We shall feel easier in our minds. Besides, we will salt her down to feed the pigs.’
“The old woman hears all this talk, but she does not stir.
“‘Oh! it is all right, she is asleep,’ says the short ruffian, when he saw that the hunchback had not stirred.
“That is how the old woman saved her life. And she may be fairly called courageous; for it is a fact that there are not many girls here who could have breathed like cherubs while they heard that talk going on about the pigs. Well, the two brigands set to work to lift up the dead man; they wrap him round in the sheets and chuck him out into the little yard; and the old woman hears the pigs scampering up to eat him, and grunting, hon! hon!