ad left their father's house,
and they still walked on; but they only got deeper and deeper into the
wood, and Hansel saw that if help did not come very soon they would die
of hunger. As soon as it was noon they saw a beautiful snow-white bird
sitting upon a bough, which sang so sweetly that they stood still and
listened to it. It soon left off, and spreading its wings flew off; and
they followed it until it arrived at a cottage, upon the roof of which
it perched; and when they went close up to it they saw that the cottage
was made of bread and cakes, and the window-panes were of clear sugar.

"We will go in here," said Hansel, "and have a glorious feast. I will
eat a piece of the roof, and you can eat the window. Will they not be
sweet?" So Hansel reached up and broke a piece off the roof, in order
to see how it tasted; while Grethel stepped up to the window and began
to bite it. Then a sweet voice called out in the room, "Tip-tap,
tip-tap, who raps at my door?" and the children answered, "The wind,
the wind, the child of heaven;" and they went on eating without
interruption. Hansel thought the roof tasted very nice, and so he tore
off a great piece; while Grethel broke a large round pane out of the
window, and sat down quite contentedly. Just then the door opened, and
a very old woman, walking upon crutches, came out. Hansel and Grethel
were so frightened that they let fall what they had in their hands; but
the old woman, nodding her head, said "Ah, you dear children, what has
brought you here? Come in and stop with me, and no harm shall befall
you;" and so saying she led them into her cottage. A good meal of milk
and pancakes, with sugar, apples, and nuts was spread on the table, and
in the back room were two nice little beds, covered with white, where
Hansel and Grethel laid themselves down, and thought themselves in
heaven. The old woman behaved very kindly to them, but in reality she
was a wicked witch who waylaid children and built the breadhouse in
order to entice them in; but as soon as they were in her power she
killed them, cooked and ate them, and made a great festival of the day.
Witches have red eyes, and cannot see very far; but they have a fine
sense of smelling, like wild beasts, so that they know when children
approach them. When Hansel and Grethel came near the witch's house she
laughed wickedly, saying, "Here come two who shall not escape me." And
early in the morning, before they awoke, she went up t