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Title: Grimm's Fairy Tales: Hansel and Grettel
Date of first publication: 1930
Author: Jacob Grimm (1785-1863)
Author: Wilhelm Grimm (1786-1859)
Illustrator: Noel Pocock (1880-1955)
Date first posted: November 26 2012
Date last updated: November 26 2012
Faded Page eBook #20121144

This ebook was produced by: David Edwards, Terry Thoreen
& the Online Distributed Proofreading Canada Team at http://www.pgdpcanada.net

(This file was produced from images generously made available by
The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)




Hansel and Grettel


Hansel one day took his sister Grettel by the hand, and said, "Since
our poor mother died we have had no happy days; for our new mother
beats us all day long, and when we go near her, she pushes us away.
We have nothing but hard crusts to eat; and the little dog that lies
by the fire is better off than we; for he sometimes has a nice piece
of meat thrown to him. Heaven have mercy upon us! Oh, if our poor
mother knew how we are used! Come, we will go and travel over the
wide world." They went the whole day walking over the fields, till
in the evening they came to a great wood; and then they were so tired
and hungry that they sat down in a hollow tree and went to sleep.

In the morning when they awoke, the sun had risen high above the trees,
and shone warm upon the hollow tree. Then Hansel said, "Sister, I am
very thirsty; if I could find a brook, I would go and drink, and fetch
you some water too. Listen, I think I hear the sound of one." Then
Hansel rose up and took Grettel by the hand and went in search of the
brook. But their cruel step-mother was a fairy, and had followed them
into the wood to work them mischief: and when they had found a brook
that ransparkling over the pebbles, Hansel wanted to drink; but Grettel
thought she heard the brook, as it babbled along, say, "Whoever drinks
here will be turned into a tiger." Then she cried out, "Ah, brother!
do not drink, or you will be turned into a wild beast and tear me to
pieces." Then Hansel yielded, although he was parched with thirst.
"I will wait," said he, "for the next brook." But when they came to the
next, Grettel listened again, and thought she heard "Whoever drinks
here will become a wolf." Then she cried out, "Brother, brother, do
not drink, or you will become a wolf and eat me." So he did not drink,
but said, "I will wait for the next brook; there I must drink, say
what you will, I am so thirsty."

As they came to the third brook, Grettel listened, and heard "Whoever
drinks here will become a fawn." "Ah, brother!" said she, "do not drink,
or you will be turned into a fawn and run away from me." But Hansel
had already stooped down upon his knees, and the moment he put his
lips into the water he was turned into a fawn.

Grettel wept bitterly over the poor creature, and the tears too rolled
down his eyes as he laid himself beside her. Then she said, "Rest in
peace, dear fawn, I will never never leave thee." So she took off her
golden necklace and put it round his neck, and plucked some rushes
and plaited them into a soft string to fasten to it; and led the poor
little thing by her side further into the wood.

After they had travelled a long way, they came at last to a little
cottage; and Grettel, having looked in and seen that it was quite
empty, thought to herself, "We can stay and live here." Then she went
and gathered leaves and moss to make a soft bed for the fawn: and
every morning she went out and plucked nuts, roots, and berries for
herself, and sweet shrubs and tender grass for her companion; and it
ate out of her hand, and was pleased, and played and frisked about her.
In the evening, when Grettel was tired, and had said her prayers,
she laid her head upon the fawn for her pillow, and slept: and if poor
Hansel could but have his right form again, they thought they should
lead a very happy life.

They lived thus a long while in the wood by themselves, till it chanced
that the king of that country came to hold a great hunt there. And when
the fawn heard all around the echoing of the horns, and the baying of
dogs, and the merry shouts of the huntsmen, he wished very much to go
and see what was going on. "Ah, sister! sister!" said he, "let me go
out into the wood, I can stay no longer." And he begged so long, that
she at last agreed to let him go. "But," said she, "be sure to come
to me in the evening: I shall shut up the door to keep out those wild
huntsmen; and if you tap at it, and say 'Sister, let me in,' I shall
know you; but if you don't speak, I shall keep the door fast." Then
away sprang the fawn, and frisked and bounded along in the open air.
The king and his huntsmen saw the beautiful creature, and followed but
could not overtake him; for when they thought they were sure of their
prize, he sprung over the bushes and was out of sight in a moment.

As it grew dark he came running home to the hut, and tapped, and said,
"Sister, sister, let me in." Then she opened the little door, and in
he jumped and slept soundly all night on his soft bed.

Next morning the hunt began again; and when he heard the huntsmen's
horns, he said, "Sister, open the door for me, I must go again." Then
she let him out, and said, "Come back in the evening, and remember what
you are to say." When the king and the huntsmen saw the fawn with the
golden collar again, they gave him chase; but he was too quick for them.
The chase lasted the whole day; but at last the huntsmen nearly
surrounded him, and one of them wounded him in the foot, so that he
became sadly lame and could hardly crawl home. The man who had
wounded him followed close behind, and hid himself, and heard the
little fawn say, "Sister, sister, let me in:" upon which the door
opened and soon shut again. The huntsman marked all well, and went
to the king and told him what he had seen and heard; then the king
said, "To-morrow we will have another chase."

Grettel was very much frightened when she saw that her dear little
fawn was wounded; but she washed the blood away and put some healing
herbs on it, and said, "Now go to bed, dear fawn, and you will soon
be well again." The wound was so small, that in the morning there
was nothing to be seen of it; and when the horn blew, the little
creature said, "I can't stay here, I must go and look on; I will take
care that none of them shall catch me." But Grettel said, "I am
sure they will kill you this time, I will not let you go." "I shall die
of vexation," answered he, "if you keep me here; when I hear the horns,
I feel as if I could fly." Then Grettel was forced to let him go; so
she opened the door with a heavy heart, and he bounded out gaily into
the wood.

When the king saw him, he said to his huntsman, "Now chase him all
day long till you catch him; but let none of you do him any harm."
The sun set, however, without their being able to overtake him, and
the king called away the huntsmen, and said to the one who had
watched, "Now come and show me the little hut." So they went to the
door and tapped, and said, "Sister, sister, let me in." Then the
door opened and the king went in, and there stood a maiden more
lovely than any he had ever seen. Grettel was frightened to see
that it was not her fawn, but a king with a golden crown, that was
come into her hut: however, he spoke kindly to her, and took her
hand, and said, "Will you come with me to my castle and be my wife?"
"Yes," said the maiden; "but my fawn must go with me, I cannot
part with that." "Well," said the king, "he shall come and live
with you all your life, and want for nothing." Just at that moment
in sprung the little fawn; and his sister tied the string to his
neck, and they left the hut in the wood together.

Then the king took Grettel to his palace, and celebrated the
marriage in great state. And she told the king all her story;
and he sent for the fairy and punished her: and the fawn was
changed into Hansel again, and he and his sister loved one another,
and lived happily together all their days.


[The end of _Grimm's Fairy Tales: Hansel and Grettel_ by the Brothers Grimm]