Strona 619 z 626

Some time afterwards Snow-white and Rose-red went to catch a dish

of fish. As they came near the brook they saw something like a

large grasshopper jumping towards the water, as if it were going

to leap in. They ran to it and found it was the dwarf. 'Where are

you going?' said Rose-red; 'you surely don't want to go into the

water?' 'I am not such a fool!' cried the dwarf; 'don't you see

that the accursed fish wants to pull me in?' The little man had

been sitting there fishing, and unluckily the wind had tangled up

his beard with the fishing-line; a moment later a big fish made a

bite and the feeble creature had not strength to pull it out; the

fish kept the upper hand and pulled the dwarf towards him. He

held on to all the reeds and rushes, but it was of little good,

for he was forced to follow the movements of the fish, and was in

urgent danger of being dragged into the water.