Страшные сказки / Scary stories

“But I feel very sorry for the poor children”, said the man.

The two children did not sleep, and heard what their stepmother said to their father. Gretel wept bitter tears, and said to Hansel:

“Now we will die”.

“Be quiet, Gretel”, said Hansel, “do not distress yourself, I will soon find a way to help us”.

And when the old wood-cutter and his wife fell asleep, Hansel got up, put on his little coat, opened the door below, and crept outside. The moon shone brightly, and the white pebbles 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[4 - be comforted – успокойся], dear little sister, and sleep in peace. God will not forsake us”.

Then he lay down again in his bed. When day dawned, the woman came and awoke the two children. She said:

“Get up, you sluggards! We will go 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 fast.

You will get nothing else”.

Gretel took the bread under her apron, as Hansel had the pebbles in his pocket. Then they all went together to the forest.

Soon Hansel stood still and peeped back at the house, and did so again and again. His father said: “Hansel, what do you do? Go! Do not forget how to use your legs”.

“Ah, father”, said Hansel, “I look at my little white cat, which is on the roof.

The cat wants to say goodbye to me”.

The wife said:

“Fool, that is not your little cat, that is the morning sun on the chimneys”.

Hansel, however, did not look back at the cat, but threw one of the white pebble-stones out of his pocket on the road.

When they reached the middle of the forest, the father said:

“Now, children, pile up some wood, and I will light a fire”.

Hansel and Gretel gathered brushwood together, as high as a little hill.

The brushwood was lighted, and when the flames burnt 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 do it, we will come back and fetch you away”.

Hansel and Gretel sat by the fire, and when noon came, each ate a little piece of bread. 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.