"Yes; but from where did that unearthly sound come?"
The wife, without speaking, winked at her husband and pointed to the cupboard.
"Papshee," was now heard louder than ever.
The children stopped gnawing the goose's bones; they opened their greasy mouths and their eyes to the utmost and looked scared.
"There's some one shut in the cupboard," said the smith, jumping up, and snatching up his tools.
A moment afterwards the door flew open, and to everyone's surprise, except the wife's, the old cook was found standing bolt upright in the empty space and listening to what they were saying.
The old woman, finding herself discovered, was about to scream, but the smith caught her by the throat and gave her such a powerful squeeze, that before knowing what he was doing, he had choked the cook to death.
The poor man was in despair, for he had never meant to commit a murder—he only wanted to prevent the old shrew from screaming.
"Bog me ovari! what is to become of me now?"
"Pooh!" said the wife, shrugging her shoulders; "she deserves her fate; as we make our bed, so must we lie."