y doing the finishing of the brooms.

The broom business had been very, very bad for a long time, and the
poor father and mother were nearly discouraged. The father, however,
was a happy-go-lucky man who usually accepted his misfortunes easily.
It was fair-time in a village near the broom-makers' hut, and one
morning the parents started off to see if their luck wouldn't change.
They left the children at home, charging them to be industrious and
orderly in behaviour till they returned, and Haensel in particular was
to spend his time finishing off some brooms.

Now it is the hardest thing in the world for little children to stick
to a long task, so that which might have been expected happened:
Haensel and Gretel ceased after a little to work, and began to think
how hungry they were. Haensel was seated in the doorway, working at the
brooms; brooms were hanging up on the walls of the poor little
cottage; and Gretel sat knitting a stocking near the fire. Being a gay
little girl, she sang to pass the time:

[Music:

Susy little Susy, pray what is the news?
The geese are running bare foot because they've no shoes!
The cobbler has leather and plenty to spare,
Why can't he make the poor goose a new pair?]

This sounded rather gay, and, before he knew it, Haensel had joined in:

Eia popeia, pray what's to be done?
Who'll give me milk and sugar, for bread I have none?
I'll go back to bed and I'll lie there all day,
Where there's naught to eat, then there's nothing to pay.

"Speaking of something to eat--I'm as hungry as a wolf, Gretel. We
haven't had anything but bread in weeks."

"Well, it does no good to complain, does it? Why don't you do as
father does--laugh and make the best of it?" Gretel answered, letting
her knitting fall in her lap. "If you will stop grumbling, Haensel,
I'll tell you a secret--it's a fine one too." She got up and tiptoed
over to the table. "Come here and look in this jug," she called, and
Haensel in his turn tiptoed over, as if something very serious indeed
would happen should any one hear him.

"Look in that jug--a neighbour gave us some milk to-day, and that is
likely to mean rice blanc-mange."

"Oh, gracious goodness! I'll be found near when rice blanc-mange is
going on; be sure of that. How thick is the cream?" the greedy fellow
asked, dipping his finger into the jug.

"Aren't you ashamed of yourself! Take your fingers out of that jug,
Haensel, a