there was once upon a time a castle in the middle of a thick wood where lived an old woman quite alone , for she was an enchantress . in the day - time she changed herself into a cat or a night - owl , but in the evening she became like an ordinary woman again . she could entice animals and birds to come to her , and then she would kill and cook them . if any youth came within a hundred paces of the castle , he was obliged to stand still , and could not stir from the spot till she set him free ; but if a pretty girl came within this boundary , the old enchantress changed her into a bird , and shut her up in a wicker cage , which she put in one of the rooms in the castle . she had quite seven thousand of such cages in the castle with very rare birds in them .
an old woman .
who lived in a castle in the middle of a thick wood ?
who lived in a castle in the middle of a thick wood ?