" oh , sweet madam mistress , " she cried , " spare me my bairn , and take , and thou wilt , the pig instead . " " we have no need of bacon where i come from , " answered the fairy coldly ; " so give me the laddie and let me begone -- i have no time to waste in this wise . " " oh , dear lady mine , " pleaded the goodwife , " if thou wilt not have the pig , wilt thou not spare my poor bairn and take me myself ? " the fairy stepped back a little , as if in astonishment . " art thou mad , woman , " she cried contemptuously , " that thou proposest such a thing ? who in all the world would care to take a plain - looking , red - eyed , dowdy wife like thee with them ? "
why didn't the old woman want to take the widowed mistress ?
the widowed mistress was not pretty .
she was a plain - looking , red - eyed , dowdy wife .