e table," she ordered, then turning again
to Haensel she found him apparently asleep.

"That's good! It is a way to grow fat," she grinned. "I'll just begin
my supper with Gretel. She looks quite plump enough as she is. Here,
my love," she cried, opening the oven door, and sniffing some
gingerbread figures within, "just look into the oven and tell me if
it is hot enough to bake in," she called.

Oh, when from the oven I take her,
She'll look like a cake from the baker,

the old wretch giggled to herself. But Gretel pretended not to hear
her; and after all, she thought the oven not quite hot enough to push
Gretel into, so she began jabbering about the witch's ride she was
going to have that night at twelve, on her broomstick. As she thought
about it she became very enthusiastic, and getting upon her broom she
went galloping about the house and back. When she got through
performing in this outrageous manner--which fairly froze Gretel's
blood in her veins--the old witch tickled Haensel with a birch-twig
till he woke.

"Here, my little darling, show me your tongue," she said, and Haensel
stuck out his tongue as if the doctor had been called to investigate
his liver. "My, but you are in fine condition," the old wretch mumbled
smacking her lips. "Let me see your thumb," she demanded, and instead
of sticking out his plump thumb, Haensel poked a tiny bone through the
bars of the cage. "Oh! how lean and scraggy! You won't do yet"; and
she called to Gretel to bring more food for him, and there she stopped
to stuff him again. Then she again opened the oven door, looking all
the while at Gretel.

"How she makes my mouth water," she muttered. "Come here, little
Gretelkin, poke your head into the oven and tell me if you think it
hot enough for us to bake in." At this awful moment Haensel whispered:

"Oh, be careful, Gretel!" Gretel nodded at him behind the witch's
back.

"Just smell that lovely gingerbread. Do poke your head in to see if it
is quite done. Then you shall have a piece hot from the oven." Gretel
still hung back.

"I don't quite know how to do it," she apologized. "If you will just
show me how to reach up," she murmured; and the old witch, quite
disgusted that Gretel should take so long to do as she was bid, and so
delay the feast, said:

"Why, this way, you goose," poking her head into the oven, and
instantly, Haensel, who had slipped out of the stable, sprang upon the
old woman, gave her the push