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90 GRIMM S FAIRY TALES.
“Tt is all over with us.”
“ Do be quiet, Grethel,” said Hansel, “and do not fret; I
will manage something.” And when the parents had gone to
sleep he got up, put on his little coat, opened the back door,
and slipped out. The moon was shining brightly, and the
white flints that lay in front of the house glistened like pieces
of silver. Hansel stooped and filled the little pocket of his
coat as full as it would hold. ‘Then he went back again, and
said to Grethel,
“Be easy, dear little sister, and go to sleep quietly ; God
will not forsake us,” and laid himself down again in his bed.
When the day was breaking, and before the sun had risen,
the wife came and awakened the two children, saying,
“Get up, you lazy bones; we are going into the forest to
cut wood.”
Then she gave each of them a piece of bread, and said,
“That is for dinner, and you must not eat it before then,
for you will get no more."
Grethel carried the bread under her apron, for Hansel had
his pockets full of the flints. Then they set off all together on
their way to the forest. When they had gone a little way
Hansel stood still and looked back towards the house, and
this he did again and again, till his father said to him,
“ Hansel, what are you looking at? take care not to forget
your legs.” |
“© father,’ said Hansel, " I am looking at my little white
kitten, who is sitting up on the roof to bid me good-bye.”
“You young fool,’ said the woman, “that is not your
kitten, but the sunshine on the chimney-pot.”
Of course Hansel had not been looking at his kitten, but
had been taking every now and then a flint from his pocket
and dropping it on the road.
When they reached the middle of the forest the father told
the children to collect wood to make a fire to keep them
warm ; and Hansel and Grethel gathered brushwood enough
for a little mountain; and it was set on fire, and when the
flame was burning quite high the wife said,
“Now lie down by the fire and rest yourselves, you
children, and we will go and cut wood; and when we are
ready we will come and fetch you.”