A WIDOW who was fond of cleaning had two little maidens1 to wait

　　on her. She was in the habit of waking them early in the

　　morning, at cockcrow. The maidens, aggravated2 by such excessive

　　labor, resolved to kill the cock who roused their mistress so

　　early. When they had done this, they found that they had only

　　prepared for themselves greater troubles, for their mistress, no

　　longer hearing the hour from the cock, woke them up to their work

　　in the middle of the night.