perceived their father’s house.  Then they began to run, and rushing into the house, they fell upon their father’s neck.  He had not had one happy hour since he had left the children in the forest; and his wife was dead.  Grethel shook her apron, and the pearls and precious stones rolled out upon the floor, and Hansel threw down one handful after the other out of his pocket.  Then all their sorrows were ended, and they lived together in great happiness.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

SNOW-WHITE AND ROSE-RED

A poor widow once lived in a little cottage.  In front of the cottage was a garden, in which were growing two rose trees; one of these bore white roses, and the other red.

She had two children, who resembled the rose trees.  One was called Snow-White, and the other Rose-Red; and they were as religious and loving, busy and untiring, as any two children ever were.

Snow-White was more gentle, and quieter than her sister, who liked better skipping about the fields, seeking flowers, and catching summer birds; while Snow-White stayed at home with her mother, either helping her in her work, or, when that was done, reading aloud.

The two children had the greatest affection the one for the other.  They were always seen hand in hand; and should Snow-White say to her sister, “We will never separate,” the other would reply, “Not while we live,” the mother adding, “That which one has, let her always share with the other.”

They constantly ran together in the woods, collecting ripe berries; but not a single animal would have injured them; quite the reverse, they all felt the greatest esteem for the young creatures.  The hare came to eat parsley from their hands, the deer grazed by their side, the stag bounded past them unheeding; the birds, likewise, did not stir from the bough, but sang in entire security.  No mischance befell them; if benighted in the wood, they lay down on the moss to repose and sleep till the morning; and their mother was satisfied as to their safety, and felt no fear about them.

Once, when they had spent the night in the wood, and the bright sunrise awoke them, they saw a beautiful child, in a snow-white robe, shining like diamonds, sitting close to the spot where they had reposed.  She arose when they opened their eyes, and looked kindly at them; but said no word, and passed from their sight into the wood.  When the children looked around they saw they had been sleeping on the edge of a precipice, and would surely have fallen over if they had gone forward two steps further in the darkness.  Their mother said the beautiful child must have been the angel who watches over good children.