The Old Crone's Hospitality
The Never Ending Quest - Episode 48062
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"Hello, my dearies," the old crone croaked. "I don't get many visitors
here, let alone two young girls like you. You'd better come in. Would you
like some stew? I've got some simmering in a cauldron over the fire."
"Thank you," Freda said, as she and Astra followed the old woman into a comfortable kitchen. "That would be very nice. I don't suppose that you could provide us with shelter for the night as well? You see, we're lost." "Of course you can stay. The nights are quite warm at this time of year but, even so, you could catch a nasty chill if you stayed out overnight dressed like that. If you don't think that I'm rude for asking, why are you dressed like that?" She peered at them with eyes that seemed remarkably keen for a wizened old woman. "We're bawdy girls," Astra replied, blushing slightly. "Are you indeed?" the old woman said, not seeming at all taken aback. She filled two large bowls with stew and set them in front of the two girls. "How very interesting. So how did you come to be lost in the forest?" "It's the strangest thing," Astra said. And, between mouthfuls of stew, she related how they had been at the lordling's party, how Mistress Candida had cheated them of their money, the kindly old man's intervention, and then their suddenly finding themselves in the forest. "Hmm," the crone said when she had finished. "So nobody knows that you are here, then?" "No," Freda said, thinking it a rather odd question. "This is very good stew." "I'm glad that you like it. Have some more." After they had finished eating, the old woman showed them to a room in which there were two small beds. Not even bothering to undress, the two girls fell asleep almost as soon as their heads hit their respective pillows. In the morning:
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JH
1/1/2005 5:28:22 AM
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