Hard by a great forest dwelt a poor wood-cutter with his wife and his two children. The boy was called Hansel and the girl Gretel. He had little to bite and to break, and once when great dearth fell on the land, he could no longer procure even daily bread. Now when he thought over this by night in his bed, and tossed about in his anxiety, he groaned and said to his wife: ‘What is to become of us? How are we to feed our poor children, when we no longer have anything even for ourselves?’ ‘I’ll tell you what, husband,’ answered the woman, ‘early tomorrow morning we will take the children out into the forest to where it is the thickest; there we will light a fire for them, and give each of them one more piece of bread, and then we will go to our work and leave them alone. They will not find the way home again, and we shall be rid of them.’ ‘No, wife,’ said the man, ‘I will not do that; how can I bear to leave my children alone in the forest?--the wild animals would soon come and tear them to pieces.’ ‘O, you fool!’ said she, ‘then we must all four die of hunger, you may as well plane the planks for our coffins,’ and she left him no peace until he consented. ‘But I feel very sorry for the poor children, all the same,’ said the man.
在一片大森林附近，住着一位贫穷的樵夫，他和妻子带着两个孩子。男孩名叫汉塞尔，女孩叫格蕾特。家里几乎没有食物，后来遭遇大饥荒，连日常的面包都买不起了。一天夜里，樵夫在床上辗转反侧，焦虑不安，他叹息着对妻子说：‘我们该怎么办？我们自己都快没吃的了，怎么养活可怜的孩子呢？’妻子回答说：‘听我说，丈夫，明天一早，我们把孩子带到森林最深处，给他们生一堆火，每人再给一块面包，然后我们就去干活，把他们留在那里。他们找不到回家的路，这样我们就摆脱他们了。’‘不行，妻子，’男人说，‘我怎么忍心把孩子独自留在森林里？野兽很快就会来把他们撕成碎片。’‘你这个傻瓜！’她说，‘那我们也都会饿死，不如现在就准备棺材的木板吧。’她不停地纠缠，直到丈夫答应为止。‘不过，我实在可怜那些可怜的孩子，’男人说道。
The two children had also not been able to sleep for hunger, and had heard what their stepmother had said to their father. Gretel wept bitter tears, and said to Hansel: ‘Now all is over with us.’ ‘Be quiet, Gretel,’ said Hansel, ‘do not distress yourself, I will soon find a way to help us.’ And when the old folks had fallen asleep, he got up, put on his little coat, opened the door below, and crept outside. The moon shone brightly, and the white pebbles which lay in front of the house glittered like real silver pennies. Hansel stooped and stuffed the little pocket of his coat with as many as he could get in. Then he went back and said to Gretel: ‘Be comforted, dear little sister, and sleep in peace, God will not forsake us,’ and he lay down again in his bed. When day dawned, but before the sun had risen, the woman came and awoke the two children, saying: ‘Get up, you sluggards! we are going into the forest to fetch wood.’ She gave each a little piece of bread, and said: ‘There is something for your dinner, but do not eat it up before then, for you will get nothing else.’ Gretel took the bread under her apron, as Hansel had the pebbles in his pocket. Then they all set out together on the way to the forest. When they had walked a short time, Hansel stood still and peeped back at the house, and did so again and again. His father said: ‘Hansel, what are you looking at there and staying behind for? Pay attention, and do not forget how to use your legs.’ ‘Ah, father,’ said Hansel, ‘I am looking at my little white cat, which is sitting up on the roof, and wants to say goodbye to me.’ The wife said: ‘Fool, that is not your little cat, that is the morning sun which is shining on the chimneys.’ Hansel, however, had not been looking back at the cat, but had been constantly throwing one of the white pebble-stones out of his pocket on the road.
两个孩子也因饥饿无法入睡，听到了继母对父亲说的话。格蕾特痛哭流涕，对汉塞尔说：‘这下我们完了。’汉塞尔安慰道：‘别哭，格蕾特，别难过，我很快就能找到办法救我们。’等大人睡熟后，他起身穿上小外套，打开门溜了出去。月光皎洁，屋前地上的白色鹅卵石在月光下闪闪发光，宛如银元。汉塞尔弯下腰，尽可能多地把鹅卵石塞进自己的小口袋里。然后他回到屋里，对格蕾特说：‘别怕，亲爱的妹妹，安心睡吧，上帝不会抛弃我们的。’说完他又躺回床上。天刚亮，太阳还没升起，女人就起来叫醒两个孩子，说：‘快起来，懒虫！我们要去森林里砍柴了。’她每人给了一小块面包，又说：‘这是你们的午餐，但在吃之前别吃掉，因为之后就没有别的吃的了。’格蕾特把面包藏在围裙下，就像汉塞尔把鹅卵石放在口袋里一样。随后他们一起动身前往森林。走了一会儿，汉塞尔停下来回头望房子，又回头望了好几次。父亲说：‘汉塞尔，你在看什么？为什么老往后看？专心走路，别忘了怎么用你的腿。’汉塞尔回答：‘爸爸，我在看我那只小白猫，它坐在屋顶上想和我告别呢。’妻子说：‘傻瓜，那不是你的小猫，那是晨光照在烟囱上的反光。’其实汉塞尔并没有看猫，而是一直从口袋里往外扔白色鹅卵石在路上。
When they had reached the middle of the forest, the father said: ‘Now, children, pile up some wood, and I will light a fire that you may not be cold.’ Hansel and Gretel gathered brushwood together, as high as a little hill. The brushwood was lighted, and when the flames were burning very high, the woman said: ‘Now, children, lay yourselves down by the fire and rest, we will go into the forest and cut some wood. When we have done, we will come back and fetch you away.’
当他们走到森林深处时，父亲说：‘孩子们，堆些柴火，我生起火来，你们就不会冷了。’汉塞尔和格蕾特收集了许多树枝，堆得像小山一样高。柴火被点燃后，火焰熊熊燃烧，女人说：‘现在，孩子们，靠在火边休息吧，我们要去森林里砍柴了。等我们干完活，就会回来接你们。’
Hansel and Gretel sat by the fire, and when noon came, each ate a little piece of bread, and as they heard the strokes of the wood-axe they believed that their father was near. It was not the axe, however, but a branch which he had fastened to a withered tree which the wind was blowing backwards and forwards. And as they had been sitting such a long time, their eyes closed with fatigue, and they fell fast asleep. When at last they awoke, it was already dark night. Gretel began to cry and said: ‘How are we to get out of the forest now?’ But Hansel comforted her and said: ‘Just wait a little, until the moon has risen, and then we will soon find the way.’ And when the full moon had risen, Hansel took his little sister by the hand, and followed the pebbles which shone like newly-coined silver pieces, and showed them the way.
汉塞尔和格蕾特坐在火边，到了中午，每人吃了一点面包。听到斧头砍树的声音，他们以为父亲就在附近。其实那不是斧头声，而是父亲把一根树枝绑在一棵枯树上，风吹得树枝来回摆动发出的声音。他们坐了很久，疲惫不堪，眼睛渐渐闭上，很快便睡着了。最后醒来时，已是深夜。格蕾特开始哭泣，说：‘我们现在怎么走出森林呢？’汉塞尔安慰她说：‘再等一会儿，等月亮升起来，我们就能找到路了。’当满月升起后，汉塞尔牵起妹妹的手，沿着那些像新铸银币一样闪闪发光的鹅卵石，找到了回家的路。
They walked the whole night long, and by break of day came once more to their father’s house. They knocked at the door, and when the woman opened it and saw that it was Hansel and Gretel, she said: ‘You naughty children, why have you slept so long in the forest?--we thought you were never coming back at all!’ The father, however, rejoiced, for it had cut him to the heart to leave them behind alone.
他们整夜赶路，天刚破晓时又回到了父亲的家中。他们敲了敲门，女人打开门看到是汉赛尔和格莱特，便说：‘你们这两个调皮的孩子，为什么在森林里睡了这么久？我们以为你们再也不回来了！’然而父亲却十分高兴，因为把孩子们独自留在家里让他心如刀割。
Not long afterwards, there was once more great dearth throughout the land, and the children heard their mother saying at night to their father: ‘Everything is eaten again, we have one half loaf left, and that is the end. The children must go, we will take them farther into the wood, so that they will not find their way out again; there is no other means of saving ourselves!’ The man’s heart was heavy, and he thought: ‘It would be better for you to share the last mouthful with your children.’ The woman, however, would listen to nothing that he had to say, but scolded and reproached him. He who says A must say B, likewise, and as he had yielded the first time, he had to do so a second time also.
不久之后，全国再次发生大饥荒，孩子们夜里听到母亲对父亲说：‘东西又吃光了，只剩半块面包，这就是全部了。孩子们必须走，我们要把他们带到更深的森林里，让他们再也找不到回来的路；除此之外没有别的办法能救我们自己！’父亲心里沉重，心想：‘与其独自吞下最后一口食物，不如和孩子们分着吃更好。’但女人根本不听他说的话，反而责骂和指责他。既然说了A就必须说B，既然第一次已经妥协，第二次也不得不照做。
The children, however, were still awake and had heard the conversation. When the old folks were asleep, Hansel again got up, and wanted to go out and pick up pebbles as he had done before, but the woman had locked the door, and Hansel could not get out. Nevertheless he comforted his little sister, and said: ‘Do not cry, Gretel, go to sleep quietly, the good God will help us.’
然而孩子们一直醒着，听到了他们的谈话。等老两口睡下后，汉赛尔又起身，想像以前一样出去捡小石子，但女人把门锁上了，汉赛尔出不去。尽管如此，他还是安慰妹妹说：‘别哭，格莱特，安静地睡吧，仁慈的上帝会帮助我们的。’
Early in the morning came the woman, and took the children out of their beds. Their piece of bread was given to them, but it was still smaller than the time before. On the way into the forest Hansel crumbled his in his pocket, and often stood still and threw a morsel on the ground. ‘Hansel, why do you stop and look round?’ said the father, ‘go on.’ ‘I am looking back at my little pigeon which is sitting on the roof, and wants to say goodbye to me,’ answered Hansel. ‘Fool!’ said the woman, ‘that is not your little pigeon, that is the morning sun that is shining on the chimney.’ Hansel, however little by little, threw all the crumbs on the path.
清晨时分，女人起床将孩子们从床上拉起来。他们每人得到一块面包，但比上次更小。在前往森林的路上，汉赛尔把面包捏碎放在口袋里，并时不时停下来往地上丢一小块。‘汉赛尔，你为什么停下四处张望？’父亲说，‘继续走。’‘我在回头看屋顶上的小鸽子，它想和我道别呢，’汉赛尔回答。‘傻瓜！’女人说，‘那不是你的小鸽子，那是晨光照在烟囱上。’然而汉赛尔还是把面包屑一点点地撒在了路上。
The woman led the children still deeper into the forest, where they had never in their lives been before. Then a great fire was again made, and the mother said: ‘Just sit there, you children, and when you are tired you may sleep a little; we are going into the forest to cut wood, and in the evening when we are done, we will come and fetch you away.’ When it was noon, Gretel shared her piece of bread with Hansel, who had scattered his by the way. Then they fell asleep and evening passed, but no one came to the poor children. They did not awake until it was dark night, and Hansel comforted his little sister and said: ‘Just wait, Gretel, until the moon rises, and then we shall see the crumbs of bread which I have strewn about, they will show us our way home again.’ When the moon came they set out, but they found no crumbs, for the many thousands of birds which fly about in the woods and fields had picked them all up. Hansel said to Gretel: ‘We shall soon find the way,’ but they did not find it. They walked the whole night and all the next day too from morning till evening, but they did not get out of the forest, and were very hungry, for they had nothing to eat but two or three berries, which grew on the ground. And as they were so weary that their legs would carry them no longer, they lay down beneath a tree and fell asleep.
女人领着孩子们继续往森林深处走去，那是他们生平从未涉足的地方。随后人们再次生起大火，母亲说：‘你们就坐在这儿吧，累了可以小睡一会儿；我们要进森林去砍柴，等晚上干完活，就会回来接你们。’到了中午，格蕾特把自己那块面包分给了汉塞尔，因为他在路上把面包屑撒了一路。随后他们睡着了，傍晚过去了，却没有人来照顾这两个可怜的孩子。直到天黑他们才醒来，汉塞尔安慰妹妹说：‘别怕，格蕾特，等月亮升起来，我们就能看见我撒下的面包屑，它们会带我们回家。’月亮出来后，他们便出发了，却找不到任何面包屑，因为森林里和田野中成千上万的鸟儿早已把那些面包屑啄食一空。汉塞尔对格蕾特说：‘我们很快就能找到路。’但他们还是迷路了。他们整整走了一夜，又接着从清晨走到傍晚，却始终没能走出森林，而且非常饥饿，除了地上生长的两三个浆果外，他们什么也吃不到。由于疲惫不堪，双腿再也支撑不住，他们便躺在一棵树下睡着了。
It was now three mornings since they had left their father’s house. They began to walk again, but they always came deeper into the forest, and if help did not come soon, they must die of hunger and weariness. When it was mid-day, they saw a beautiful snow-white bird sitting on a bough, which sang so delightfully that they stood still and listened to it. And when its song was over, it spread its wings and flew away before them, and they followed it until they reached a little house, on the roof of which it alighted; and when they approached the little house they saw that it was built of bread and covered with cakes, but that the windows were of clear sugar. ‘We will set to work on that,’ said Hansel, ‘and have a good meal. I will eat a bit of the roof, and you Gretel, can eat some of the window, it will taste sweet.’ Hansel reached up above, and broke off a little of the roof to try how it tasted, and Gretel leant against the window and nibbled at the panes. Then a soft voice cried from the parlour:
此时距离他们离开父亲家已经三天了。他们继续前行，却总是越走越深；如果再不有人来相助，他们必将因饥饿和疲惫而死去。到了中午，他们看见一只雪白美丽的鸟儿栖息在树枝上，歌声如此悦耳动听，以至于他们停下脚步静静聆听。当它的歌声结束，它展开翅膀在他们面前飞走，他们便跟着它，直到来到一座小房子前——鸟儿降落在屋顶上。当他们走近那座小房子时，发现它竟是用面包砌成的，上面覆盖着蛋糕，窗户则是用透明的糖制成的。‘我们这就动手吧，’汉塞尔说，‘好好吃一顿。我来啃点屋顶，你格蕾特可以尝尝窗户，味道一定很甜。’汉塞尔伸手向上，掰下一小块屋顶尝了尝味道，格蕾特则靠在窗边，轻轻啃着糖做的窗格。这时，从屋里传来一个柔和的声音：
‘Nibble, nibble, gnaw, Who is nibbling at my little house?’
“啃啊，啃啊，咬啊，是谁在啃我的小房子？”
The children answered:
孩子们回答道：
‘The wind, the wind, The heaven-born wind,’
风啊，风啊，天降之风，
and went on eating without disturbing themselves. Hansel, who liked the taste of the roof, tore down a great piece of it, and Gretel pushed out the whole of one round window-pane, sat down, and enjoyed herself with it. Suddenly the door opened, and a woman as old as the hills, who supported herself on crutches, came creeping out. Hansel and Gretel were so terribly frightened that they let fall what they had in their hands. The old woman, however, nodded her head, and said: ‘Oh, you dear children, who has brought you here? do come in, and stay with me. No harm shall happen to you.’ She took them both by the hand, and led them into her little house. Then good food was set before them, milk and pancakes, with sugar, apples, and nuts. Afterwards two pretty little beds were covered with clean white linen, and Hansel and Gretel lay down in them, and thought they were in heaven.
他们继续吃着，毫不在意。汉赛尔喜欢屋顶的味道，撕下了一大块；格蕾特则把整个圆窗玻璃推了出来，坐在那里享受起来。突然门开了，一个像山一样老的老妇人拄着拐杖蹒跚而出。汉赛尔和格蕾特吓得魂飞魄散，把手里的东西都掉在了地上。不过老妇人点点头，说道：‘哦，亲爱的孩子们，是谁把你们带到这儿来的？快进来吧，留在我这儿。不会有人伤害你们的。’她牵起两个孩子的手，把他们领进自己的小屋里。随后摆上了美味的食物：牛奶、煎饼，还有糖、苹果和坚果。接着又铺好了两张漂亮的小床，盖上洁白的亚麻床单，汉赛尔和格蕾特躺了进去，仿佛置身于天堂一般。
The old woman had only pretended to be so kind; she was in reality a wicked witch, who lay in wait for children, and had only built the little house of bread in order to entice them there. When a child fell into her power, she killed it, cooked and ate it, and that was a feast day with her. Witches have red eyes, and cannot see far, but they have a keen scent like the beasts, and are aware when human beings draw near. When Hansel and Gretel came into her neighbourhood, she laughed with malice, and said mockingly: ‘I have them, they shall not escape me again!’ Early in the morning before the children were awake, she was already up, and when she saw both of them sleeping and looking so pretty, with their plump and rosy cheeks she muttered to herself: ‘That will be a dainty mouthful!’ Then she seized Hansel with her shrivelled hand, carried him into a little stable, and locked him in behind a grated door. Scream as he might, it would not help him. Then she went to Gretel, shook her till she awoke, and cried: ‘Get up, lazy thing, fetch some water, and cook something good for your brother, he is in the stable outside, and is to be made fat. When he is fat, I will eat him.’ Gretel began to weep bitterly, but it was all in vain, for she was forced to do what the wicked witch commanded.
老妇人只是假装善良；实际上她是个邪恶的女巫，专门埋伏捕捉孩子，那座面包小屋正是为了引诱他们而来。一旦有孩子落入她手中，她就会将其杀死、烹煮并吃掉，这对她来说就是 feast day（盛宴日）。女巫长着红眼睛，视力不佳，但嗅觉却像野兽一样灵敏，能察觉人类靠近。当汉赛尔和格蕾特来到她附近时，她恶毒地冷笑，嘲讽道：‘我抓到你们了，你们再也逃不掉了！’清晨孩子们还未醒来，她早已起身；看到两个孩子睡得香甜、模样可爱、脸颊红润饱满，她自言自语道：‘那真是美味的一口！’接着她用枯瘦的手抓住汉赛尔，把他拖进一间小棚屋，锁在带栅栏的门后。无论他如何尖叫也无济于事。随后她走到格蕾特身边，摇晃她直到醒来，喊道：‘起来，懒丫头，去提些水来，给哥哥做点好吃的。他在外面的棚屋里，我要把他养肥了再吃。’格蕾特开始痛哭流涕，但一切徒劳无功，因为她被迫听从邪恶女巫的命令。
And now the best food was cooked for poor Hansel, but Gretel got nothing but crab-shells. Every morning the woman crept to the little stable, and cried: ‘Hansel, stretch out your finger that I may feel if you will soon be fat.’ Hansel, however, stretched out a little bone to her, and the old woman, who had dim eyes, could not see it, and thought it was Hansel’s finger, and was astonished that there was no way of fattening him. When four weeks had gone by, and Hansel still remained thin, she was seized with impatience and would not wait any longer. ‘Now, then, Gretel,’ she cried to the girl, ‘stir yourself, and bring some water. Let Hansel be fat or lean, tomorrow I will kill him, and cook him.’ Ah, how the poor little sister did lament when she had to fetch the water, and how her tears did flow down her cheeks! ‘Dear God, do help us,’ she cried. ‘If the wild beasts in the forest had but devoured us, we should at any rate have died together.’ ‘Just keep your noise to yourself,’ said the old woman, ‘it won’t help you at all.’
于是，最好的食物都煮给了可怜的汉赛尔，而格蕾特却只能得到蟹壳。每天清晨，老妇人都会来到小棚屋前喊道：‘汉赛尔，伸出你的手指让我摸摸，看看你快不快要变胖了。’然而汉赛尔伸出的只是一根小骨头；老妇人眼力昏花，看不出来，以为那是汉赛尔的手指，便惊讶于无法把他养肥。四周过去后，汉赛尔依然瘦弱，她终于按捺不住急躁，不愿再等下去：‘好了，格蕾特！’她对着女孩喊道，‘赶紧动起来，去提水来。不管汉赛尔是胖是瘦，明天我就杀了他，煮了他。’啊，可怜的小妹妹不得不去提水时多么悲痛，泪水顺着脸颊滚滚而下！‘亲爱的上帝，求你救救我们吧！’她哭喊着说。‘要是森林里的野兽把我们吃掉了，至少我们还能死在一起。’‘少废话！’老妇人说道，‘这对你毫无用处。’
Early in the morning, Gretel had to go out and hang up the cauldron with the water, and light the fire. ‘We will bake first,’ said the old woman, ‘I have already heated the oven, and kneaded the dough.’ She pushed poor Gretel out to the oven, from which flames of fire were already darting. ‘Creep in,’ said the witch, ‘and see if it is properly heated, so that we can put the bread in.’ And once Gretel was inside, she intended to shut the oven and let her bake in it, and then she would eat her, too. But Gretel saw what she had in mind, and said: ‘I do not know how I am to do it; how do I get in?’ ‘Silly goose,’ said the old woman. ‘The door is big enough; just look, I can get in myself!’ and she crept up and thrust her head into the oven. Then Gretel gave her a push that drove her far into it, and shut the iron door, and fastened the bolt. Oh! then she began to howl quite horribly, but Gretel ran away and the godless witch was miserably burnt to death.
清晨，格蕾特不得不出去挂起盛水的锅并生火。‘我们先烤面包吧，’老妇人说，‘炉子我已经烧热了，面团也揉好了。’她把可怜的格蕾特推到炉子前，里面已经窜出熊熊火焰。‘爬进去，’女巫说，‘看看炉子是否烧得足够热，好让我们把面包放进去。’等格蕾特一钻进炉膛，她就想关上炉门，把她烤在里面，然后连她一起吃掉。但格蕾特看穿了她的心思，便说：‘我不知道该怎么进，我该怎么进去呢？’‘傻丫头，’老妇人说，‘门够大的；你看，我自己都能进去！’于是她凑上前，把脑袋伸进炉子里。这时格蕾特一把将她推得远远地跌进炉中，随即关上铁门，扣上插销。哦！那女巫开始凄厉地嚎叫起来，而格蕾特则转身逃走了，那个恶毒的女巫最终被活活烧死。
Gretel, however, ran like lightning to Hansel, opened his little stable, and cried: ‘Hansel, we are saved! The old witch is dead!’ Then Hansel sprang like a bird from its cage when the door is opened. How they did rejoice and embrace each other, and dance about and kiss each other! And as they had no longer any need to fear her, they went into the witch’s house, and in every corner there stood chests full of pearls and jewels. ‘These are far better than pebbles!’ said Hansel, and thrust into his pockets whatever could be got in, and Gretel said: ‘I, too, will take something home with me,’ and filled her pinafore full. ‘But now we must be off,’ said Hansel, ‘that we may get out of the witch’s forest.’
然而，格蕾特像闪电一样跑向汉塞尔，打开他的小棚子，喊道：‘汉塞尔，我们得救了！那个老女巫死了！’汉塞尔随即像鸟儿从笼中飞出般跳了出来。他们多么欢喜啊，互相拥抱、跳舞、亲吻！既然不再需要害怕她，他们便走进女巫的房子，只见每个角落都摆着装满珍珠和宝石的箱子。‘这些可比鹅卵石好多了！’汉塞尔说，把能装进口袋的东西全塞进口袋里；格蕾特也说：‘我也要带些东西回家，’于是把自己的围裙填得满满当当。‘但现在我们必须赶紧离开，’汉塞尔说，‘好逃出女巫的森林。’
When they had walked for two hours, they came to a great stretch of water. ‘We cannot cross,’ said Hansel, ‘I see no foot-plank, and no bridge.’ ‘And there is also no ferry,’ answered Gretel, ‘but a white duck is swimming there: if I ask her, she will help us over.’ Then she cried:
他们走了两个小时，来到一片宽阔的水域前。‘我们过不去，’汉塞尔说，‘既没有木板桥，也没有石桥。’‘而且也没有渡船，’格蕾特回答，‘但有一只白鸭正在那里游动：如果我叫它，它会帮我们过河。’于是她喊道：
‘Little duck, little duck, dost thou see, Hansel and Gretel are waiting for thee? There’s never a plank, or bridge in sight, Take us across on thy back so white.’
“小鸭子，小鸭子，你看见了吗？汉塞尔和格蕾特在等你呢！眼前既无木板也无桥梁，请载着我们在你洁白的背上把我们送过河去。”
The duck came to them, and Hansel seated himself on its back, and told his sister to sit by him. ‘No,’ replied Gretel, ‘that will be too heavy for the little duck; she shall take us across, one after the other.’ The good little duck did so, and when they were once safely across and had walked for a short time, the forest seemed to be more and more familiar to them, and at length they saw from afar their father’s house. Then they began to run, rushed into the parlour, and threw themselves round their father’s neck. The man had not known one happy hour since he had left the children in the forest; the woman, however, was dead. Gretel emptied her pinafore until pearls and precious stones ran about the room, and Hansel threw one handful after another out of his pocket to add to them. Then all anxiety was at an end, and they lived together in perfect happiness. My tale is done, there runs a mouse; whosoever catches it, may make himself a big fur cap out of it.
那只鸭子飞到了他们身边，汉塞尔坐在它的背上，让妹妹坐在他旁边。'不，'格蕾特回答说，'这样对小鸭子来说太重了；它应该把我们一个一个地送过去。'善良的小鸭子照做了。当他们安全过河并走了一段路后，森林对他们来说越来越熟悉，最终远远望见了父亲的家。于是他们开始奔跑，冲进客厅，扑进父亲的怀里。自从把孩子们留在森林里后，这位父亲从未有过一刻的快乐时光；而那位女人已经去世了。格蕾特倒空了她的围裙口袋，珍珠和宝石洒满了房间，汉塞尔则从口袋里一把接一把地掏出宝物，让那些珍宝更多。从此所有的忧虑都烟消云散，他们幸福地生活在一起。我的故事讲完了，一只小老鼠正在跑；谁要是抓住了它，就可以用它的皮做一顶大毛帽。