Page:Lange - The Blue Fairy Book.djvu/292

 At daybreak, even before the sun was up, the woman came and woke the two children: ‘Get up, you lie-abeds, we’re all going to the forest to fetch wood.’ She gave them each a bit of bread and spoke: ‘There’s something for your luncheon, but don’t you eat it up before, for it’s all you’ll get.’ Grettel took the bread under her apron, as Hansel had the stones in his pocket. Then they all set out together on the way to the forest. After they had walked for a little, Hansel stood still and looked back at the house, and this manœuvre he repeated again and again. His father observed him, and spake: ‘Hansel, what are you gazing at there, and why do you always remain behind? Take care, and don’t lose your footing.’ ‘Oh! father,’ said Hansel, ‘I am looking back at my white kitten, which is sitting on the roof, waving me a farewell.’ The woman exclaimed: ‘What a donkey you are! that isn’t your kitten, that’s the morning sun shining on the chimney.’ But Hansel had not looked back at his kitten, but had always dropped one of the white pebbles out of his pocket on to the path.

When they had reached the middle of the forest the father said: ‘Now, children, go and fetch a lot of wood, and I’ll light a fire that you mayn’t feel cold.’ Hansel and Grettel heaped up brushwood till they had made a pile nearly the size of a small hill. The brushwood was set fire to, and when the flames leaped high the woman said: ‘Now lie down at the fire, children, and rest yourselves: we are going into the forest to cut down wood; when we’ve finished we’ll come back and fetch you.’ Hansel and Grettel sat down beside the fire, and at midday ate their little bits of bread. They heard the strokes of the axe, so they thought their father was quite near. But it was no axe they heard, but a bough he had tied on to a dead tree, and that was blown about by the wind. And when they had sat for a long time their eyes closed with fatigue, and they fell fast asleep. When they awoke at last it was pitch-dark. Grettel began to ery, and said: ‘How are we ever to get out of the wood?’ But Hansel comforted her. ‘Wait a bit,’ he said, ‘till the moon is up, and then we’ll find our way sure enough.’ And when the full moon had risen he took his sister by the hand and followed the pebbles, which shone like new threepenny bits, and showed them the path. They walked all through the night, and at daybreak reached their father’s house again. They knocked at the door, and when the woman opened it she exclaimed: ‘You naughty children, what a time you’ve slept in the wood! we thought you were never going to come back.’ But the father rejoiced, for his con-