‘No! I hadn’t courage to do that. And he was so patient about there being no dinner, that I felt quite sorry to have suspected him. Oh, you who have been so clever in pointing out my misery to me, can you not tell me some means of reconciliation?’
‘Yes, there is one; but I don’t know if you can manage it.’
‘Oh yes; I would do anything!’
‘Then you must watch till he is quite sound asleep, and take a sharp razor and cut off three hairs from the undergrowth of his beard, quite close to the skin. If you do that it will all come right again.’
‘It seems a very odd remedy,’ said the wife; ‘but if you say it will do, I suppose it will, and thank you kindly for the advice;’ and she gave her another cheese.
Then the witch went back to the husband.
‘I suppose I was mistaken, and you found your dinner ready after all?’ she said.
‘No!’ he replied; ‘you were right about there being no dinner; but I am certain there was some cause for there being none, other than what you say.’
‘What other cause should there be?’ exclaimed the old woman.
‘That I don’t know,’ he replied. ‘But some other cause I am persuaded there must have been.’