Then the cook sent three servants after them , who were to run and overtake the children . The children , however , were sitting outside the forest , and when they saw from afar the three servants running , Lina said to Fundevogel : ' Never leave me , and I will never leave you . ' Fundevogel said : ' Neither now , nor ever . ' Then said Lina : ' Do you become a rose - tree , and I the rose upon it . ' When the three servants came to the forest , nothing was there but a rose - tree and one rose on it , but the children were nowhere . Then said they : ' There is nothing to be done here , ' and they went home and told the cook that they had seen nothing in the forest but a little rose - bush with one rose on it . Then the old cook scolded and said : ' You simpletons , you should have cut the rose - bush in two , and have broken off the rose and brought it home with you ; go , and do it at once . ' They had therefore to go out and look for the second time . The children , however , saw them coming from a distance . Then Lina said : ' Fundevogel , never leave me , and I will never leave you . ' Fundevogel said : ' Neither now ; nor ever . ' Said Lina : ' Then do you become a church , and I ' ll be the chandelier in it . ' So when the three servants came , nothing was there but a church , with a chandelier in it . They said therefore to each other : ' What can we do here , let us go home . ' When they got home , the cook asked if they had not found them ; so they said no , they had found nothing but a church , and there was a chandelier in it . And the cook scolded them and said : ' You fools ! why did you not pull the church to pieces , and bring the chandelier home with you ? ' And now the old cook herself got on her legs , and went with the three servants in pursuit of the children . The children , however , saw from afar that the three servants were coming , and the cook waddling after them . Then said Lina : ' Fundevogel , never leave me , and I will never leave you . ' Then said Fundevogel : ' Neither now , nor ever . ' Said Lina : ' Be a fishpond , and I will be the duck upon it . ' The cook , however , came up to them , and when she saw the pond she lay down by it , and was about to drink it up . But the duck swam quickly to her , seized her head in its beak and drew her into the water , and there the old witch had to drown . Then the children went home together , and were heartily delighted , and if they have not died , they are living still .