The mother says, "Why, that was the old witch!" She pretends to beat the eldest daughter, and tells her to be more careful in the future, and on no account to let the pot boil over. The eldest daughter weeps, promises to be better, and the mother again goes away. The old witch comes again, and the same thing is repeated until each child in turn has been taken away, the old witch pretending each time to borrow a different article that is used around the fire, as the poker, the kettle, etc. Finally, the eldest daughter is carried off too.
The pot, which has boiled over with a hissing sound each time the old witch has come to the hearth, now boils over so long and so loudly that the mother hears it and comes back to see what is the matter. Finding the eldest daughter gone too, the mother goes in search of them to the witch's house. On the way she meets the old witch, who tries to turn her from her path by speaking of various dangers.
The mother asks of her, "Is this the way to the witch's house?" and the witch replies, "There is a red bull that way."
"I will go this way."
"There is a mad cow that way."
"I will go this way."
"There is a mad dog that way."
Finally, the mother insists on entering the witch's house. The witch refuses to let her in, saying—
"Your shoes are too dirty."