Страшные сказки / Scary stories

Hansel, who liked the taste of the roof, tore down a great piece of it. Gretel pushed out the whole of one round window-pane, sat down, and enjoyed herself with it. Suddenly the door opened, and an old woman, who supported herself on crutches, came out. Hansel and Gretel were so terribly frightened that they let fall[6 - let fall – уронили] what they had in their hands. The old woman, however, nodded her head, and said:

“Oh, you dear children, who brought you here? Come in, and stay with me.

No harm will happen to you”.

She took them both by the hand, and led them into her little house. Then she gave them good food, milk and pancakes, with sugar, apples, and nuts. Afterwards she covered two pretty little beds with clean white linen for them. Hansel and Gretel lay down in them, and thought they were in heaven.

But the old woman only pretended to be so kind. She was actually a wicked witch, who lay in wait for[7 - lay in wait for – подстерегала] children.

She only built the little house of bread in order to entice them there. When a child fell into her power, she killed it, cooked and ate it, and that was a feast day with her. Witches have red eyes, and cannot see far, but they have a keen scent like the beasts, and are aware when human beings draw near.

When Hansel and Gretel came into her neighbourhood, she laughed with malice, and said mockingly:

“I got them, they won’t escape me again!”

Early in the morning before the children were awake, she was already up.

The children looked so pretty, with their plump and rosy cheeks, that the witch muttered to herself:

“That will be a dainty mouthful!”

Then she seized Hansel with her shriveled hand, carried him into a little stable, and locked him in behind a grated door. He cried and screamed, but it did not help him.

Then the witch went to Gretel, shook her till she awoke, and cried:

“Get up, lazy bones, fetch some water, and cook something good for your brother.

He is in the stable outside, and he must be fat. When he is fat, I will eat him”.

Gretel began to weep bitterly, but it was all in vain.

And now the best food was cooked for poor Hansel, but Gretel got nothing but crab-shells. Every morning the woman crept to the little stable, and cried:

“Hansel, stretch out your finger to see whether you are fat enough”.