In a little cottage at the edge of a forest in Germany, lived Peter, a
poor broom maker, and his wife Gertrude. They had two children, Hansel
and Gretel.
One day Hansel and Gretel were left alone at home. Their father had gone
to the village to sell brooms. Their mother was away, too.
The children were left busily at work. The boy was mending brooms, the
girl knitting stockings.
After a time they became tired of their hard work.
"Come, Gretel, let us have some fun!" cried Hansel.
As he spoke, he threw the broom upon the floor, and pulled the stocking
from his sister's hand.
"Oh, yes!" said Gretel. "I will teach you a song, and you can learn the
steps of the dance."
Hansel and Gretel danced about the room. Gretel sang, while she and
Hansel danced,
"First your foot you tap, tap, tap,
Then your hands you clap, clap, clap;
Right foot first, left foot then,
Round about and back again."
Presently the mother returned home. She entered the room and found
Hansel and Gretel at play.
"You lazy children!" she exclaimed. "Why have you not finished your
work?"
Taking the broom that Hansel had thrown upon the floor, the mother
started to punish him, but the boy was too quick for her.
Hansel ran nimbly about, and as she was trying to catch him, the mother
upset a jug of milk. It was all the food there was in the house.
"Oh, mother!" cried Gretel. "You have spilled the milk, and we shall
have nothing to eat."
"Go out into the woods and gather some strawberries. Do not return until
you have filled the basket to the brim," commanded the mother. "Hansel,
help your sister pick the berries, and hurry back, both of you, for
there is nothing else for supper."
Towards evening the father returned from the village.
"Ho, ho, good wife!" called Peter. "I have had great luck to-day, and
have sold all my brooms. Now for a good supper! See here--bread and
butter, some potatoes, ham and eggs. But where are the children?"
"They have gone to the woods to gather strawberries," replied Gertrude.
"It is growing dark. Hansel and Gretel should have been here long ago,"
said Peter anxiously.
The wife began to prepare supper. The husband went to the door of the
cottage and looked out into the darkness.
"Alas, my children!" cried Peter. "I fear that the terrible Witch of the
Forest may find them, and that we shall never see them again!"
Meanwhile Hansel and Gretel had filled the basket with strawberries, and
then had wandered into the forest. They sat down upon a mossy bank under
a fir tree, to rest.
"Here is a fine strawberry! Taste it," said Gretel.
She put a berry into Hansel's mouth and took one for herself.
"I am so hungry! Give me another berry," said Hansel.
The children tasted another and another of the strawberries, until all
were gone.
"Oh, Hansel! We have eaten all of the strawberries," cried Gretel. "We
must fill the basket again."
The children began to hunt for more berries, but it was now growing
dark, and they could find none. To make matters worse, they had lost
their way.
Gretel began to cry, but Hansel tried to be very brave.
"I will take care of you, sister," said he.
"Hark!" said Gretel.
They could hear soft voices among the trees. The children became more
frightened than before.
"What is that, near the dark bushes?" whispered Gretel.
"It is only the stump of a tree," replied Hansel.
"It is making faces at me!" said Gretel.
Hansel made faces back again, trying to drive the strange form away.
Suddenly a light came toward them.
"Oh, here are father and mother looking for us!" cried Gretel.
But no, it was only the light of the will-o'-the-wisp.