Hansel and Gretel · page 21 2101Let Hansel be fat or lean, tomorrow I will kill him, and cook him.’102Ah, how the poor little sister did lament when she had to fetch the water, and how her tears did flow down her cheeks!103‘Dear God, do help us,’ she cried.104‘If the wild beasts in the forest had but devoured us, we should at any rate have died together.’105‘Just keep your noise to yourself,’ said the old woman, ‘it won’t help you at all.’106Early in the morning, Gretel had to go out and hang up the cauldron with the water, and light the fire.107‘We will bake first,’ said the old woman, ‘I have already heated the oven, and kneaded the dough.’108She pushed poor Gretel out to the oven, from which flames of fire were already darting.109‘Creep in,’ said the witch, ‘and see if it is properly heated, so that we can put the bread in.’110And once Gretel was inside, she intended to shut the oven and let her bake in it, and then she would eat her, too.111But Gretel saw what she had in mind, and said: ‘I do not know how I am to do it; how do I get in?’112‘Silly goose,’ said the old woman.113‘The door is big enough; just look, I can get in myself!’ and she crept up and thrust her head into the oven.114Then Gretel gave her a push that drove her far into it, and shut the iron door, and fastened the bolt.115Oh! then she began to howl quite horribly, but Gretel ran away and the godless witch was miserably burnt to death.116Gretel, however, ran like lightning to Hansel, opened his little stable, and cried: ‘Hansel, we are saved!117The old witch is dead!’118Then Hansel sprang like a bird from its cage when the door is opened.119How they did rejoice and embrace each other, and dance about and kiss each other!120And as they had no longer any need to fear her, they went into the witch’s house, and in every corner there stood chests full of pearls and jewels.121‘These are far better than pebbles!’ said Hansel, and thrust into his pockets whatever could be got in, and Gretel said: ‘I, too, will take something home with me,’ and filled her pinafore full.122‘But now we must be off,’ said Hansel, ‘that we may get out of the witch’s forest.’123When they had walked for two hours, they came to a great stretch of water.124‘We cannot cross,’ said Hansel, ‘I see no foot-plank, and no bridge.’125‘And there is also no ferry,’ answered Gretel, ‘but a white duck is swimming there: if I ask her, she will help us over.’126Then she cried:127‘Little duck, little duck, dost thou see, Hansel and Gretel are waiting for thee?128There’s never a plank, or bridge in sight, Take us across on thy back so white.’129The duck came to them, and Hansel seated himself on its back, and told his sister to sit by him.130‘No,’ replied Gretel, ‘that will be too heavy for the little duck; she shall take us across, one after the other.’131The good little duck did so, and when they were once safely across and had walked for a short time, the forest seemed to be more and more familiar to them, and at length they saw from afar their father’s house.132Then they began to run, rushed into the parlour, and threw themselves round their father’s neck.133The man had not known one happy hour since he had left the children in the forest; the woman, however, was dead.134Gretel emptied her pinafore until pearls and precious stones ran about the room, and Hansel threw one handful after another out of his pocket to add to them.135Then all anxiety was at an end, and they lived together in perfect happiness.136My tale is done, there runs a mouse; whosoever catches it, may make himself a big fur cap out of it.1 2← previousThe Valiant Little Tailornext →The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage↑ back to Grimms' Fairy TalesThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2591/20/page/2/