And again the little drake answered for his sisters : ` We can not sleep , we wake and weep , Sharp is the knife , to take our life ; The fire is hot , now boils the pot , And so we wake , and lie and quake . ' ` Just the same answer , ' muttered the witch ; ' I think I 'll go in and see . ' So she opened the door gently , and seeing the two little ducklings sound asleep , she there and then killed them . The next morning the White Duck wandered round the pond in a distracted manner , looking for her little ones ; she called and she searched , but could find no trace of them . And in her heart she had a foreboding that evil had befallen them , and she fluttered up out of the water and flew to the palace . And there , laid out on the marble floor of the court , dead and stone cold , were her three children . The White Duck threw herself upon them , and , covering up their little bodies with her wings , she cried : ` Quack , quack -- my little loves ! Quack , quack -- my turtle-doves ! I brought you up with grief and pain , And now before my eyes you 're slain . I gave you always of the best ; I kept you warm in my soft nest . I loved and watched you day and night -- You were my joy , my one delight . ' The King heard the sad complaint of the White Duck , and called to the witch : ` Wife , what a wonder is this ? Listen to that White Duck . ' But the witch answered , ` My dear husband , what do you mean ? There is nothing wonderful in a duck 's quacking . Here , servants ! Chase that duck out of the courtyard . ' But though the servants chased and chevied , they could not get rid of the duck ; for she circled round and round , and always came back to the spot where her children lay , crying : ` Quack , quack -- my little loves ! Quack , quack -- my turtle-doves ! The wicked witch your lives did take -- The wicked witch , the cunning snake .
First she stole my King away , Then my XXXXX did she slay .
children delight foreboding joy lives morning pot servants snake water