Next to a great forest there lived a poor woodcutter with his wife and his two children.
A son, Hansel, and his daughter, Gretel.
A great famine came to the land and he could no longer provide so much as bread for his family.
One evening, worried how he would feed his family, he turned to his wife,,
What will we do? How can we feed our children when we have nothing for ourselves?
Do you know what?
Early morning we'll take the children out into the woods, make a fire, and give them each a small piece of bread. Then, we'll leave them by themselves and they'll never find their way back home - Two less mouths to feed.
No, I can't do that. How could I bring myself to abandon my own children in the woods? They'd never survive.
Oh, you fool, then all four of us will starve. We may as well prepare our graves.
She gave him no peace until he agreed.
But I feel sorry for the poor children.
Not able to sleep because of their hunger, Hansel and Gretel had heard what the stepmother had said to their father.
Gretel cried bitter tears.
We're done for!
Quiet, Gretel, it'll be okay. I know what to do.
As soon as their parents had fallen asleep, Hansel got up, put on his jacket, opened the door, and crept outside.
The moon shining brightly, and the white pebbles in front of the house were glistening like silver coins.
Hansel bent over and filled his jacket pockets with them, as many as would fit.
Then he went back into the house and said,
Don't worry, Gretel. Sleep well. God will not forsake us.
Hansel went back to bed.
At daybreak, the woman came to wake the children.
Get up, you lazybones. We're going to fetch wood.
She then gave them each a small piece of bread.
Here is something for later. Don't eat it too quickly, that's all you're getting.
Gretel put the bread under her apron, because Hansel's pockets were full of the white stones.
Then all together they went into the woods. After they had walked a little way, Hansel began to stop, looking back toward the house.
Hansel, what are you looking at? Don't fall behind.
Oh, father, I am looking at my white cat sitting on the roof. It wants to say good-bye to me.
You fool, that's not your cat. That's the sun shining on the chimney.
However, Hansel was not looking at his cat, instead dropping the shiny pebbles from his pocket onto the path.
They finally arrived at the middle of the woods.
You children gather some wood, and I'll make a fire so you don't freeze.
Hansel and Gretel gathered some twigs, piling as high as a small mountain.
The twigs were set aflame and burning well.
Lie down by the fire and rest. We're going into the woods to cut wood. When we're finished, we'll be back and get you.
Hansel and Gretel sat by the fire. They ate their bread as the afternoon came around. Hearing blows of an axe, they'd believed their father was nearby.
However, it wasn't an axe, only a branch that he'd tied to a dead tree and that the wind beat back and forth. After some time had passed, their eyes grew tired, and they fell sound sleep.
When they finally awoke, it was dark and Gretel began to cry.
How will we get out of woods?
Wait a bit until the moon comes up, and then we'll find the way.
After the full moon had come up, Hansel took his Gretel by the hand. They followed the pebbles that glistened there like newly minted coins, showing them the way.
They walked all night until they finally arrived back home.
They knocked on the door, and when the woman opened it she saw that it was Hansel and Gretel.
You awful children, Where have you been? We didn't think you wanted to come back.
Their father was overjoyed when he saw his children again, after all, it wasn't his idea to leave them all alone.
Not long after, food became scarce again, and one evening the children heard their mother and father talking.
Our food is gone again. We only have half a loaf of bread. We MUST get rid of the children. We'll take them deeper into the woods, so they'll never find home. Otherwise we'll starve.
It'd be better to share what we have with them.
But the woman wouldn't listen, she scolded and criticized him until he gave in once more. The children were awake and heard everything.
Quietly, Hansel got up again to gather pebbles as he had done before. However, this time the woman had locked the door, and he couldn't get out.
He comforted Gretel.
Don't cry, Gretel. Sleep well, it'll be okay.
Early the next morning the woman came and got the children from their beds. She gave them their little pieces of bread, even less than the last time.
On the way to the woods, Hansel crumbled his piece in his pocket, then often stood still, throwing crumbs on the ground.
Hansel, why are you always stopping and looking around? Let's go.
I can see my pigeon on the roof. It wants to say goodbye.
Fool, that's not your pigeon. That's the sun shining on the chimney, again.
Little by little, Hansel dropped all the crumbs onto the path.
The woman took them deeper into the woods than they had ever been.
Once again a large fire was made, and the mother said,
Sit here, children. If you get tired just take a nap. We're going to cut wood. We'll come get you once we're finished.
That afternoon Gretel shared her bread with Hansel, who'd scattered his along the path. Then they fell asleep, time passed, but no one came to get the poor children.
It was dark at night when they awoke, and Hansel comforted Gretel.
When the moon comes up I'll be able to see the crumbs I scattered, and they'll show us the way back home.
They got up when the moon appeared, but they couldn't find any crumbs, the many birds flying about in the woods and fields had pecked them up.
They walked all night and day, but they didn't find their way out. They were terribly hungry, having ate only a few small berries growing on the ground. They were so tired, their legs would no longer carry them, so they decided to lay down under a tree and fell asleep.
It had been three days since leaving home. They started walking again, managing to only go deeper into the woods. If help didn't come soon, they would perish.
That afternoon, they saw a little snow-white bird sitting on a branch. It sang so beautifully that they stopped to listen. When it finished it stretched its wings and flew in front of them. They followed it until they came to a little house.
The bird sat on the roof, and as they came closer, they saw that the little house was built entirely from bread with a roof made of cake, and windows of clear sugar.
Let's help ourselves to a good meal. I'll eat a piece of the roof, you try the window!
Hansel reached up and broke off a little of the roof to see how it tasted, while Gretel nibbled at the windows.
Then a gentle voice called out from inside:
Nibble, nibble, little mouse,
Who is nibbling at my house?
The wind, the wind,
The heavenly child.
They continued to eat, without being distracted. Hansel, enjoying the taste of the roof, tore down another large piece, and Gretel poked out an entire window.
Suddenly the door opened, and a woman, as old as the hills and leaning on a crutch, came creeping out. Hansel and Gretel were so frightened that they dropped what they were holding in their hands.
The old woman shook her head.
Oh, you poor children, where did you come from? Just come in and stay with me. You'll be okay.
She took them by the hand and led them into her house.
She served them a good meal: milk and pancakes with sugar, apples, and nuts.
Afterward she made two nice beds for them, decked in white. Hansel and Gretel went to bed, thinking they were in heaven. But the old woman had only pretended to be friendly. She was a wicked witch who was lying in wait there for children.
She had built her house of bread only in order to lure them to her, and if she captured one, she would kill him, cook him, and eat him; and for her that was a day to celebrate.
Witches have red eyes and cannot see very far, but they have a sense of smell like animals, and know when humans are approaching.
When Hansel and Gretel came near to her, she laughed wickedly and spoke scornfully,
Now I have them. They won't get away from me again.
Early the next morning, before they awoke, she got up, went to their beds, and looked at the two of them lying there so peacefully, with their full red cheeks.
"They will be a good mouthful," she mumbled to herself.
Then she grabbed Hansel with her withered hand and carried him to a little stall, where she locked him behind a cage door. Cry as he might, there was no help for him.
Then, she shook Gretel.
Get up, lazy! Fetch water and cook something good for your brother. He's locked out in the stall and needs fattened up. When he's fat I'm going to eat him up.
Gretel began to cry, but it was all for nothing. She had to do what the witch demanded. Now Hansel was given the best things to eat every day, but Gretel received nothing but crayfish shells.
Every morning the old woman crept out to the stall and shouted,
Hansel, stick out your finger, so I can feel if you are fat yet.
But Hansel stuck out a little bone, and the old woman, who had bad eyes and could not see the bone, thought it was Hansel's finger. She wondered why he didn't get fat.
When four weeks had passed and Hansel was still thin, impatience overcame her, she'd wait no longer.
Hey, Gretel! Hurry up and fetch water. Whether he's fat or not, tomorrow I'm going to slaughter and boil him.
Oh, how the poor little sister sobbed, forced to carry the water, and how the tears streamed down her cheeks!
Dear God, please help us, If only we'd died in the woods, we would have died together.
Save your slobbering, It won't help you at all.
The next morning Gretel had to get up early, hang up the kettle with water, and make a fire.
First we are going to bake, I've already started the oven and kneaded the dough.
She pushed poor Gretel to the oven, from which fiery flames were leaping.
Climb in. See if it's hot enough for the bread.
When Gretel was inside, she intended to close the oven, to bake and eat her as well.
But Gretel saw what she had in mind.
I don't know how. I can't fit in there.
Stupid child, the opening is big enough. See, even I can fit.
She crawled up and stuck her head into the oven.
Then Gretel gave her a shove, causing her to fall in. She closed the door and secured it with a bar.
The old woman began to howl frightfully. But Gretel ran away, and the witch burned up miserably.
Gretel ran straight to Hansel, unlocked his stall, and cried out.
Hansel, we're saved. The old witch is dead.
Hansel jumped out, like a bird from its cage when someone opens its door. They were both so happy! They threw their arms around each other and jumped with joy.
Having nothing more to fear, they went into the witch's house.
Every corner was full of chests with pearls and precious stones.
These are much better than pebbles!
I'll take some home with me as well!
We can't stay. Let's get out of these witch-woods.
After a few hours of walking they arrived at a large body of water.
We can't get across, I don't see a walkway or bridge.
There are no boats around, but there's a white duck swimming. If I ask, maybe it'll help us across.
Duckling, duckling,
Here stand Gretel and Hansel.
Neither a walkway nor a bridge,
Take us onto your white back.
The duckling came up to them, and Hansel climbed onto it, then asked his little sister to sit next to him.
No, that'd be too heavy for the little duckling. It should take us across one at a time.
That is what the good animal did, and when they were safely on the other side.
As they walked, the woods grew more and more familiar, until finally they saw the home in the distance. They began to run, rushed inside, and threw their arms around the father's neck.
The man hadn't been happy since he'd left his children in the woods.
However, the woman had died.
Gretel shook out her apron, scattering pearls and precious stones around the room, and Hansel added to them by throwing one handful after the other from his pockets.
Now all their cares were at an end, and they lived happily together.
My tale is done,
A mouse has run.
And whoever catches it can make for himself from it a large, large fur cap.