On the third morning after they had left their father’s house they set about their wandering again, but only got deeper and deeper into the wood, and now they felt that if help did not come to them soon they must perish.  At midday they saw a beautiful little snow-white bird sitting on a branch, which sang so sweetly that they stopped still and listened to it.  And when its song was finished it flapped its wings and flew on in front of them.  They followed it and came to a little house, on the roof of which it perched; and when they came quite near they saw that the cottage was made of bread and roofed with cakes, while the window was made of transparent sugar.  “Now we’ll set to,” said Hansel, “and have a regular blow-out.[1] I’ll eat a bit of the roof, and you, Grettel, can eat some of the window, which you’ll find a sweet morsel.”  Hansel stretched up his hand and broke off a little bit of the roof to see what it was like, and Grettel went to the casement and began to nibble at it.  Thereupon a shrill voice called out from the room inside: 

  “Nibble, nibble, little mouse,
  Who’s nibbling my house?”

The children answered: 

  “Tis Heaven’s own child,
  The tempest wild,”

and went on eating, without putting themselves about.  Hansel, who thoroughly appreciated the roof, tore down a big bit of it, while Grettel pushed out a whole round window-pane, and sat down the better to enjoy it.  Suddenly the door opened, and an ancient dame leaning on a staff hobbled out.  Hansel and Grettel were so terrified that they let what they had in their hands fall.  But the old woman shook her head and said:  “Oh, ho! you dear children, who led you here?  Just come in and stay with me, no ill shall befall you.”  She took them both by the hand and let them into the house, and laid a most sumptuous dinner before them—­milk and sugared pancakes, with apples and nuts.  After they had finished, two beautiful little white beds were prepared for them, and when Hansel and Grettel lay down in them they felt as if they had got into heaven.

[1] He was a vulgar boy!

The old woman had appeared to be most friendly, but she was really an old witch who had waylaid the children, and had only built the little bread house in order to lure them in.  When anyone came into her power she killed, cooked, and ate him, and held a regular feast-day for the occasion.  Now witches have red eyes, and cannot see far, but, like beasts, they have a keen sense of smell, and know when human beings pass by.  When Hansel and Grettel fell into her hands she laughed maliciously, and said jeeringly:  “I’ve got them now; they sha’n’t escape me.”  Early in the morning, before the children were awake, she rose up, and when she saw them both sleeping so peacefully, with their round rosy cheeks, she muttered to herself:  “That’ll be a dainty bite.”  Then she seized Hansel with her bony hand and carried him into a little stable, and barred the door on him; he might scream as much as he liked, it did him no good.  Then she went to Grettel, shook her till she awoke, and cried:  “Get up, you lazy-bones, fetch water and cook something for your brother.  When he’s fat I’ll eat him up.”  Grettel began to cry bitterly, but it was of no use; she had to do what the wicked witch bade her.