Hansel ve Gretel (Short Story)

There were a poor wood-cutter with his wife and his two children. His boy was called Hansel and his daughter was called Gretel.

He said to his wife, "What is to become of us. How will we feed our poor children." "I'll tell you" answered the woman, "early tomorrow morning we will take the children out into the forest. They will not take the children out into the forest. 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."

"O' you fool," said she, "then we must all four die of hunger, you may as well plane the planks for out coffins," and she left him no peace until he consented.

The children, however, were still awake and had heard the conversation. When they were asleep, Hansel again got up. He wanted to go out and pick up pebbles. But the woman had locked the door, and Hansel could not get out, Neverthless he comforted his little sister, and said, "Do not cry, Gretel, go to sleep quietly, the good God will help us."