, Gretel, here we stand;
There is neither bridge nor ferry,
Row us on your back to land."

So the Duck came to them, and Hansel sat himself on her back, and bade
his sister sit behind him.

"No," answered Gretel, "that will be too much for the Duck; she shall
take us over one at a time."

This the good little bird did, and when both were happily arrived on the
other side, and had gone a little way, they came to a wood, which they
knew the better every step they went, and at last they saw their
father's house. Then they began to run, and, bursting into the house,
they fell on their father's neck.

He had not had one happy hour since he had left the children in the
forest; and his wife was dead. Gretel shook her apron, and the pearls
and precious stones rolled out on the floor, and Hansel threw down one
handful after another out of his pocket. Then all their sorrows were
ended, and they lived together in great happiness.

THE GOOSE GIRL

Once upon a time there lived an old Queen, whose husband had been dead
some years, and left her with one child, a beautiful daughter. When this
daughter grew up she was to be married to a King's son, who lived far
away.

[Illustration]

Now when the time came for her to leave, the mother gave her daughter a
lock of hair, saying, "Dear child, preserve this well, and it will help
you out of trouble."

Afterwards the mother and daughter took a sorrowful leave of each other,
and the princess placed the lock of hair in her bosom, mounted her horse
Falada, and rode away to her intended bridegroom. Now this horse could
speak. After she had ridden for about an hour she became very thirsty,
and said to her servant, "Dismount, and bring me some water from yonder
stream in the cup which you carry with you, for I am very thirsty."

"If you are thirsty," replied the servant, "dismount yourself, and stoop
down to drink the water, for I will not be your maid!"

The Princess, on account of her great thirst, did as she was bid, and
bending over the brook she drank of its water without daring to use her
golden cup. While she did so the lock of hair said, "Ah! if thy mother
knew this, her heart would break."

As she leaned over the water, the lock of hair fell out of her bosom and
floated down the stream without her noticing it, because of her great
anguish. But her servant had seen what happened, and she was glad, for
now she had power over her mistress, because with the