Hansel and Grettel · page 21 2101“Hi, Grettel,” she called to the girl, “be quick and get some water.102Hansel may be fat or thin, I’m going to kill him to-morrow and cook him.”103Oh! how the poor little sister sobbed as she carried the water, and how the tears rolled down her cheeks!104“Kind heaven help us now!” she cried; “if only the wild beasts in the wood had eaten us, then at least we should have died together.”105“Just hold your peace,” said the old hag; “it won’t help you.”106Early in the morning Grettel had to go out and hang up the kettle full of water, and light the fire.107“First we’ll bake,” said the old dame; “I’ve heated the oven already and kneaded the dough.”108She pushed Grettel out to the oven, from which fiery flames were already issuing.109“Creep in,” said the witch, “and see if it’s properly heated, so that we can shove in the bread.”110For when she had got Grettel in she meant to close the oven and let the girl bake, that she might eat her up too.111But Grettel perceived her intention, and said: “I don’t know how I’m to do it; how do I get in?”112“You silly goose!” said the hag, “the opening is big enough; see, I could get in myself,” and she crawled toward it, and poked her head into the oven.113Then Grettel gave her a shove that sent her right in, shut the iron door, and drew the bolt.114Gracious! how she yelled, it was quite horrible; but Grettel fled, and the wretched old woman was left to perish miserably.115Grettel flew straight to Hansel, opened the little stable-door, and cried: “Hansel, we are free; the old witch is dead.”116Then Hansel sprang like a bird out of a cage when the door is opened.117How they rejoiced, and fell on each other’s necks, and jumped for joy, and kissed one another!118And as they had no longer any cause for fear, they went in the old hag’s house, and here they found, in every corner of the room, boxes with pearls and precious stones.119“These are even better than pebbles,” said Hansel, and crammed his pockets full of them; and Grettel said: “I too will bring something home,” and she filled her apron full.120“But now,” said Hansel, “let’s go and get well away from the witch’s wood.”121When they had wandered about for some hours they came to a big lake.122“We can’t get over,” said Hansel; “I see no bridge of any sort or kind.”123“Yes, and there’s no ferry-boat either,” answered Grettel; “but look, there swims a white duck; if I ask her she’ll help us over,” and she called out:124“Here are two children, mournful very, Seeing neither bridge nor ferry; Take us upon your white back, And row us over, quack, quack!”125The duck swam toward them, and Hansel got on her back and bade his little sister sit beside him.126“No,” answered Grettel, “we should be too heavy a load for the duck: she shall carry us across separately.”127The good bird did this, and when they were landed safely on the other side, and had gone for a while, the wood became more and more familiar to them, and at length they saw their father’s house in the distance.128Then they set off to run, and bounding into the room fell on their father’s neck.129The man had not passed a happy hour since he left them in the wood, but the woman had died.130Grettel shook out her apron so that the pearls and precious stones rolled about the room, and Hansel threw down one handful after the other out of his pocket.131Thus all their troubles were ended, and they lived happily ever afterward.132My story is done.133See! there runs a little mouse; anyone who catches it may make himself a large fur cap out of it.134(1)135(1) Grimm.1 2← previousThe Forty Thievesnext →Snow-white and Rose-red↑ back to The Blue Fairy BookThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg503/35/page/2/