efreshing
are these simple nursery songs, recalling days of sweet childhood, how
droll and truly realistic are these children in {117} their natural and
naive sauciness! Here is no display of human passions; simply and
clearly the old fairytale goes on, embellished by the masterly way in
which the musician handles the modern orchestra.

The first act represents the miserable little hut of a broom-maker.
Hansel is occupied in binding brooms, Gretel is knitting and singing
old nursery-songs, such as "Susy, dear Susy, what rattles in the
straw." Both children are very hungry, and wait impatiently for the
arrival of their parents. Hansel is particularly bad-tempered, but the
merry and practical Gretel finding some milk in a pot, soon soothes his
ruffled feelings by the promise of a nice rice-pap in the evening.
Forgetting work and hunger, they begin to dance and frolic, until they
roll on the ground together. At this moment their mother enters, and
seeing the children idle, her wrath is kindled, and she rushes at them
with the intention of giving them a sound whipping. Alas instead of
Hansel she strikes the pot and upsets the milk. The mother's vexation
cools and only sorrow remains, but she quickly puts a little basket
into Gretel's hands, and drives the children away, bidding them look
for strawberries in the woods. Then sinking on a chair utterly
exhausted, she falls asleep. She is awakened by her husband, who comes
in singing and very gay. She sees that he has had a drop too much and
is about to reproach him, but the words die on her lips, when she sees
him unfold his treasures, consisting of eggs, bread, butter and coffee.
He tells her that he has {118} been very fortunate at the church-ale
(Kirmes), and bids her prepare supper at once. Alas, the pot is
broken, and the mother relates, that finding the children idle, anger
got the better of her, and the pot was smashed to pieces. He
goodnaturedly laughs at her discomfiture, but his merriment is changed
to grief, when he hears that their children are still in the forest,
perhaps even near the Ilsenstein, where the wicked fairy lives, who
entices children in order to bake and devour them. This thought so
alarms the parents that they rush off, to seek the children in the
forest.

The second act is laid near the ill-famed Ilsenstein. Hansel has
filled his basket with strawberries, and Gretel is winding a garland of
red hips, with which Hansel crowns her. He