While he was eating and drinking , there came by an old man , yet more wretched than the first , and begged for a few mouthfuls . But instead of food he only got hard words , and limped sadly away . Towards evening the young man reached an open space in the wood , and by this time he thought he would like some supper . The birds saw the food , and flew round his head in numbers hoping for some crumbs , but he threw stones at them , and frightened them off . Then he began to wonder where he should sleep . Not in the open space he was in , for that was bare and cold , and though he had walked a long way that day , and was tired , he dragged himself up , and went on seeking for a shelter . At length he saw a deep sort of hole or cave under a great rock , and as it seemed quite empty , he went in , and lay down in a corner . About midnight he was awakened by a noise , and peeping out he beheld a terrible ogress approaching . He implored her not to hurt him , but to let him stay there for the rest of the night , to which she consented , on condition that he should spend the next day in doing any task which she might choose to set him . To this the young man willingly agreed , and turned over and went to sleep again . In the morning , the ogress bade him sweep the dust out of the cave , and to have it clean before her return in the evening , otherwise it would be the worse for him . Then she left the cave . The young man took the spade , and began to clean the floor of the cave , but try as he would to move it the dirt still stuck to its place . He soon gave up the task , and sat sulkily in the corner , wondering what punishment the ogress would find for him , and why she had set him to do such an impossible thing . He had not long to wait , after the ogress came home , before he knew what his punishment was to be ! She just gave one look at the floor of the cave , then dealt him a blow on the head which cracked his skull , and there was an end of him . Meanwhile his next brother grew tired of staying at home , and let his parents have no rest till they had consented that he also should be given some food and some new boots , and go out to see the world . On his road , he also met the two old beggars , who prayed for a little of his bread and milk , but this young man had never been taught to help other people , and had made it a rule through his life to keep all he had to himself . So he turned a deaf ear and finished his dinner . By-and-by he , too , came to the cave , and was bidden by the ogress to clean the floor , but he was no more successful than his brother , and his fate was the same .
Anyone would have XXXXX that when the old people had only one son left that at least they would have been kind to him , even if they did not love him .
awakened bade cracked dealt gave given hurt saw seemed thought