Brother Grimm's Tales

Hansel and Gretel

Hard by a great forest dwelt a poor wood-cutter with his wife

and his two children. The boy was called Hansel and the

girl Gretel. He had little to bite and to break, and once when

great dearth fell on the land, he could no longer procure even daily

bread. Now when he thought over this by night in his bed, and

tossed about in his anxiety, he groaned and said to his wife, what

is to become of us. How are we to feed our poor children, when

we no longer have anything even for ourselves. I'll tell you what,

husband, answered the woman, early to-morrow morning we

will take the children out into the forest to where it is the

thickest. There we will light a fire for them, and give each of

them one more piece of bread, and then we will go to our work and

leave them alone. They will not find the way home again, and we

shall be rid of them. No, wife, said the man, I will not do that.

How can I bear to leave my children alone in the forest. The wild

animals would soon come and tear them to pieces. O' you fool, said

she, then we must all four die of hunger, you may as well plane the

planks for our coffins, and she left him no peace until he

consented. But I feel very sorry for the poor children, all the

same, said the man.

The two children had also not been able to sleep for hunger, and

had heard what their step-mother had said to their father. Gretel

wept bitter tears, and said to Hansel, now all is over with us.

Be quiet, Gretel, said Hansel, do not distress yourself, I will soon

find a way to help us. And when the old folks had fallen asleep,

he got up, put on his little coat, opened the door below, and crept

outside. The moon shone brightly, and the white pebbles which lay

in front of the house glittered like real silver pennies. Hansel

stooped and stuffed the little pocket of his coat with as many as he

could get in. Then he went back and said to Gretel, be comforted,

dear little sister, and sleep in peace, God will not forsake us, and

he lay down again in his bed. When day dawned, but before the

sun had risen, the woman came and awoke the two children, saying

get up, you sluggards. We are going into the forest to fetch

wood. She gave each a little piece of bread, and said, there is

something for your dinner, but do not eat it up before then, for you

will get nothing else. Gretel took the bread under her apron, as

Hansel had the pebbles in his pocket. Then they all set out

together on the way to the forest. When they had walked a short