Scarcely had the sun peeped over the eastern horizon than the Dew Fairy
came fluttering into the woodland. Her wings were tinged with the first
blush of dawn and her garments were tipped with rosy light. She carried
armfuls of bluebells, and as she flitted lightly about, sweet music
rippled on the air. How she smiled when she saw Haensel and Gretel
asleep under the tall fir tree!
"Up, ye sleepers! Awake! Awake!" she sang. Then, sprinkling dew from the
bluebells into their eyes, she vanished into the sunlit air.
Gretel rubbed her eyes sleepily and raised herself from the moss. Was
she still in the beautiful greenwood? Ah, yes, she must be there. For
birds were merrily chirping overhead. There were glimpses of bright blue
sky between the leaf-laden branches.
"Wake up, lazy bones!" she called to Haensel.
He jumped up with a start, stretched himself, yawned once or twice,
looked about. Oh, the wonderful, wonderful forest!
The sun had mounted higher in the sky. The woods were filled with a
mellow radiance. The morning mists had cleared away. And, most
astonishing of all, on the very hill so lately hidden by dark trees and
fleecy clouds, they beheld a most entrancing sight.
A house stood there. But such a house! It was as beautiful--as
beautiful,--in short, I am afraid to tell you how undescribably
beautiful it was. The walls were of sweetest sugar candy, glistening
like diamonds in the sun; the roof was of chocolate cake, all soft and
creamy; and the gables were ornamented with raisins, like little eyes.
On one side there was a strange-looking cage; on the other, a huge,
strange-looking oven; and both were joined to the house by a fence made
of the daintiest gingerbread figures imaginable.
"Oh," cried Haensel, "did you ever see anything so wonderful?"
"No, I never did," answered Gretel. "A princess must live in that."
They stared and stared, while their mouths watered and their fingers
itched prodigiously.
Haensel wished to go boldly inside, but the mere thought of doing
anything so rash frightened Gretel.
"Well, the angels led us here," reflected Haensel.
"Ye-es, that's true, they did," conceded Gretel.
"Come on. Let's just nibble a little bit," tempted Haensel.
And so, hand in hand, they hopped along, like two little mice, toward
the magic house. Then they stole cautiously forward on tiptoe, until,
at length, they were within reaching distance. Haensel's hand went out.
He broke off a bit.
Quick as lightning came a squeaking voice from the inside:
"Nibble, nibble, mousekin,
Who's nibbling at my housekin?"
Haensel started back in fear.
"'Twas only the wind," said Gretel. "Let's taste it."
They did. Since it tasted better than anything they had ever eaten
before, they feasted merrily for a while, never heeding the voice of the
Witch or her ugly form, either, which, a little later, appeared at the
door. I have no doubt that they would be feasting yet, if the Witch had
not then and there stealthily stolen upon them. With a deft movement she
threw a rope about Haensel's neck and held him fast.
The children's delight turned to terror. For she was a loathsome sight
to see. Bent, toothless, with unkempt hair and clawlike hands, she
looked the picture of a Witch indeed.
In spite of her appearance, however, she spoke to them in a very kindly
manner. She called them pretty names, told them that they were nice and
plump, and that they would make excellent gingerbread. She even caressed
Haensel, which made him very angry. Wriggling and squirming, he managed
to loosen the rope and seizing Gretel by the hand, ran--alas! only a
short distance. For the Witch, holding aloft a juniper branch, circled
it in the air, repeating these strange words:
"Hocus, pocus, witch's charm,
Move not, as you fear my arm!"
The children stood stock-still. They were stiff from head to toe.
Fortunately, by this time they had undergone so many strange adventures
that they had learned fairly well how to conduct themselves.
"Watch carefully all she does!" whispered Haensel, as the Witch led him
away to the cage and gave him nuts and raisins to fatten him.
"I will," said Gretel.
Therefore, when, a few moments later, the Witch disenchanted her in
order that she might prepare the table, Gretel listened attentively to
the words:
"Hocus, pocus, elder bush,
Rigid body, loosen hush!"
No sooner had Gretel run into the house than the Witch was seized with a
fit of wild joy. She thrust more fagots into the fire, laughing wickedly
when the flames flared higher and higher. She mounted her broomstick and
rode about, shouting a weird song.
Gretel watched her from the doorway. That broomstick ride gave her an
opportunity. She stole to the cage, and, whispering,
"Hocus, pocus, elder bush,
Rigid body, loosen hush!"
she set Haensel free. But he did not move. No, not yet.
For the Witch had come back. She was rubbing her hands with glee. Her
face wore an evil smile. Oh, the fine meal she would have! Haensel was
not plump enough. Gretel must be eaten first. So, opening the oven door,
she called Gretel and told her to look inside. But clever Gretel
pretended not to understand. Would not the Witch show her how? Angry,
impatient, muttering to herself, the Witch crept nearer to the oven, and
when she was about to bend over it, Haensel and Gretel gave her one
good, hard push from behind. She toppled over and fell in. Bang! bang!
went the door. She was safe inside.
How the fire crackled and roared. A moment later there was a great crash
and the oven fell to pieces. Haensel and Gretel, much terrified, started
to run away, but found themselves, to their great surprise, entirely
surrounded by a troop of little children.
"It's the fence," exclaimed Haensel, "the gingerbread fence!"
And so it was. The gingerbread had fallen off, and real children stood
there, motionless, with closed eyes, murmuring softly:
"Oh, touch us, we pray,
That we may all awake!"
"Pooh! if that's all they want!" said Gretel, proudly, and she repeated:
"Hocus, pocus, elder bush,
Rigid body, loosen hush!"
Instantly life came back to the whole troop. They hurried toward Haensel
and Gretel from all sides. They danced, they sang! Two boys ran to the
oven and dragged out the Witch in the form of a big gingerbread cake.
Then the merrymaking began in earnest. They made a big circle, and round
and round it they danced. Last but not least, they ate up the candy
house. At any rate, that is what they were doing when their mothers and
fathers found them there that afternoon.
[Illustration]