lves. Hansel, who found
that the roof tasted very nice, took down a great piece of it, and
Grethel pulled out a large round window-pane, and sat her down and began
upon it. Then the door opened, and an aged woman came out, leaning upon
a crutch. Hansel and Grethel felt very frightened, and let fall what
they had in their hands. The old woman, however, nodded her head, and
said,

"Ah, my dear children, how come you here? you must come indoors and stay
with me, you will be no trouble."

So she took them each by the hand, and led them into her little house.
And there they found a good meal laid out, of milk and pancakes, with
sugar, apples, and nuts. After that she showed them two little white
beds, and Hansel and Grethel laid themselves down on them, and thought
they were in heaven.

The old woman, although her behaviour was so kind, was a wicked witch,
who lay in wait for children, and had built the little house on purpose
to entice them. When they were once inside she used to kill them, cook
them, and eat them, and then it was a feast-day with her. The witch's
eyes were red, and she could not see very far, but she had a keen scent,
like the beasts, and knew very well when human creatures were near. When
she knew that Hansel and Grethel were coming, she gave a spiteful laugh,
and said triumphantly,

"I have them, and they shall not escape me!"

Early in the morning, before the children were awake, she got up to look
at them, and as they lay sleeping so peacefully with round rosy cheeks,
she said to herself,

"What a fine feast I shall have!"

Then she grasped Hansel with her withered hand, and led him into a
little stable, and shut him up behind a grating; and call and scream as
he might, it was no good. Then she went back to Grethel and shook her,
crying,

"Get up, lazy bones; fetch water, and cook something nice for your
brother; he is outside in the stable, and must be fattened up. And when
he is fat enough I will eat him."

Grethel began to weep bitterly, but it was of no use, she had to do what
the wicked witch bade her.

And so the best kind of victuals was cooked for poor Hansel, while
Grethel got nothing but crab-shells. Each morning the old woman visited
the little stable, and cried,

"Hansel, stretch out your finger, that I may tell if you will soon be
fat enough."

Hansel, however, used to hold out a little bone, and the old woman, who
had weak eyes, could not see what it was, and supposing it