mother address their father thus in bed one night:
"Everything is eaten up once more; we have only half a loaf in the
house, and when that's done it's all up with us. The children must be
got rid of; we'll lead them deeper into the wood this time, so that
they won't be able to find their way out again. There is no other way
of saving ourselves." The man's heart smote him heavily, and he thought:
"Surely it would be better to share the last bite with one's children!"
But his wife wouldn't listen to his arguments, and did nothing but scold
and reproach him. If a man yields once he's done for, and so, because he
had given in the first time, he was forced to do so the second.

But the children were awake, and had heard the conversation. When the
old people were asleep Hansel got up, and wanted to go out and pick up
pebbles again, as he had done the first time; but the woman had barred
the door, and Hansel couldn't get out. But he consoled his little
sister, and said: "Don't cry, Grettel, and sleep peacefully, for God is
sure to help us."

At early dawn the woman came and made the children get up. They received
their bit of bread, but it was even smaller than the time before. On the
way to the wood Hansel crumbled it in his pocket, and every few minutes
he stood still and dropped a crumb on the ground. "Hansel, what are you
stopping and looking about you for?" said the father. "I'm looking back
at my little pigeon, which is sitting on the roof waving me a farewell,"
answered Hansel. "Fool!" said the wife; "that isn't your pigeon, it's
the morning sun glittering on the chimney." But Hansel gradually threw
all his crumbs on the path. The woman led the children still deeper into
the forest farther than they had ever been in their lives before. Then
a big fire was lit again, and the mother said: "Just sit down there,
children, and if you're tired you can sleep a bit; we're going into the
forest to cut down wood, and in the evening when we're finished we'll
come back to fetch you." At midday Grettel divided her bread with
Hansel, for he had strewn his all along their path. Then they fell
asleep, and evening passed away, but nobody came to the poor children.
They didn't awake till it was pitch dark, and Hansel comforted his
sister, saying: "Only wait, Grettel, till the moon rises, then we shall
see the bread-crumbs I scattered along the path; they will show us the
way back to the house." When the moon appeared they got up, but the