carelessness got themselves into all
sorts of scrapes! Now what was to be done? They surely couldn't go
home and tell their mother they had eaten up all the berries!

"Haensel, you have eaten all the berries. Now this time it is no
joke--this that you have done. What shall we do now?"

"Nonsense--you ate as many as I. We shall simply look for more."

"So late as this! We never can see them in the world. The sun is going
down. Where can we have got to? We are surely lost."

"Well, if we are, there is nothing to be afraid of. Come, don't cry.
We shall sleep here under the trees, and, when morning comes, find our
way home," Haensel replied, no longer blaming her, but trying to be
very brave, notwithstanding he was nearly scared to death with the
shadows which were then gathering quickly.

"Oh, oh! do you hear that noise in the bushes? I shall die of fright."

"It--it--is nothing, sister," Haensel answered, his teeth chattering,
while he peered all about him uneasily. "I'm a boy and not afraid of
anything, and can take care of you wherever we are."

What's glimmering there in the darkness?
That's only the birches in silver dress.
But there, what's grinning so there at me?
Th-that's only the stump of a willow tree.

Haensel tried to answer heroically. "I'll give a good call," he said,
going a little way toward the Ilsenstein. Then putting his hands to
his mouth, he called loudly:

"Who's there?"

"You there,--you there,--you there," the echoes came--but they seemed
to come from the Ilsenstein.

"Is some one there?" Gretel timidly asked.

"There--where--there--" the echoes from the Ilsenstein again replied.
"I'm frightened to death," Gretel said, beginning to cry.

"Little Gretelkin," said Haensel, "you stick close to me, and I'll let
nothing hurt you;" and while they huddled together, a thick white mist
slowly gathered and spread between the children and the Ilsenstein.

"Oh! there are some shadowy old women, coming to carry me away,"
Gretel sobbed, hiding her face, as the mist seemed to sway and assume
strange forms. Then while her face was hidden, the mist slowly cleared
away, and a little gray manikin with a little sack upon his back came
out of the shadows. Haensel held his breath with fear and sheltered
Gretel beside him as best he could.

"It is a shadowy queer little manikin, Gretel dear, with a little sack
upon his back, but he looks very friendly." Then addressing the little
m