thought, “Now I have them. They will not get away from me again.”
Early the next morning, before they awoke, she got up, went to their beds, and looked at the two of them lying there so peacefully, with their full red cheeks. “They will be a good dinner,” she spoke to herself. Then she grabbed Hansel and carried him to a little stall, where she locked him behind a cage door. He cried as loudly as he could, but no one came to help him.
Then she shook Gretel and cried, “Get up! Bring water and cook something good for your brother. He is locked outside in the stall. When he will be fat enough, I am going to eat him.”
Gretel began to cry, but it did not help. She had to do what the witch wanted. Now Hansel was given the best things to eat every day, but Gretel received nothing but eggshells.
Every morning the old woman went out to the stall and shouted, “Hansel, stick out your finger, so I can feel if you are fat yet.”
But Hansel stuck out a little bone, and the old woman, who had bad eyesight and could not see the bone, thought it was Hansel's finger, and she wondered why he didn't get fat.
After four weeks Hansel was still thin, and she decided not to wait any longer. “Hey, Gretel!” she shouted to the girl, “Hurry up and bring some water. Whether Hansel is fat or thin, tomorrow I am going to kill him and boil him.”
Oh, how the poor little sister cried as she was forced to carry the water, and how the tears streamed down her cheeks! “Dear God, please help us,” she cried. “It would be better if we were torn apart by wild animals. Then we would have died together.”
“Save your crying,” said the old woman. “It doesn't help you at all.”
The next morning Gretel had to get up early, hang up the pot with water, and make a fire.
“First we are going to bake,” said the old woman. “I have already made a fire in the oven and mixed the dough.”
She pushed poor Gretel outside to the oven, from which fire was breaking. “Climb in,” said the witch, “and see if it is hot enough to put the bread in yet.” She wanted to close the oven, when Gretel was inside, bake her, and eat her as well. But Gretel saw what she had in mind, so she said, “I don't know how to do that. How can I get inside?”
“Fool,” said the old woman. The opening is big enough. See, I myself could get in.” And she stuck her head into the oven.
Then Gretel gave her a kick, causing her to fall in. Then she closed the iron door and secured it with a bar. The old woman began to scream. But Gretel ran away, and the evil witch burned up. Gretel ran straight to Hansel, unlocked his stall, and cried, “Hansel, we are saved. The old witch is dead.”
Then Hansel jumped out, like a bird from its cage when someone opens its door. How happy they were! They threw their arms around each other's necks, jumped with joy, and kissed one another. Because they now had nothing to fear, they went into the witch's house. In every corner were chests of pearls and precious stones.
“These are better than little stones,” said Hansel, filling his pockets.
Gretel said, “I will take some home with me as well,” and she filled her apron full.
“But now we must leave,” said Hansel, “and get out of these witch-woods.”
After walking a few hours they arrived at a large lake. “We cannot get across,” said Hansel. “I cannot see a bridge.”
“There are no boats here,” answered Gretel, “but there is a white duck swimming. If I ask it, it will help us across.”
Then she called out:
Duckling, duckling,
Here stand Gretel and Hansel.
Neither a path nor a bridge,
Take us onto your white back.
The duckling came up to them, and Hansel climbed onto it, then asked his little sister to sit down next to him.
“No,” answered Gretel. “That would be too heavy for the duckling. It should take us across one at a time.”
That is what the good animal did. When they were safely on the other side, they walked on a little while, and the woods became more familiar to them. Finally, they saw the father's house in the distance. They began to run, ran inside, and threw their arms around the father's neck.
All this time the man was very unhappy and missed his children so much. However, the woman died.
Gretel shook out her apron, throwing pearls and precious stones around the room, and Hansel added to them by throwing all the stones from his pockets.
Now all their problems were at an end, and they lived happily together.
woodcutter [wʊdkʌtǝ] – n дровосек
scold [sk(ǝ)ʊɪd] – v ругать; бранить
stepmother ['stepmaðǝ] – n мачеха; приемная мать
ɡather ['ɡæðǝ] – v собирать; собираться; набирать
apron ['eɪpr(ǝ)n] – n фартук; передник
noon [nu:n] – n полдень; обед
awake (awoke, awoken) [ǝ'weɪk] – v проснуться; просыпаться; бодрствовать
nasty [nɑ:stɪ] – adj гадкий; мерзкий
ɡet (ɡot, ɡot) rid of [ɡet rɪd ɒv] – v избавиться
receive [rɪ'si:v] – v получить
crumb [krʌmb] – n крошка; кроха; мякиш
piɡeon ['pɪʤɪn] – n голубь
manaɡe ['mænɪʤ] – v суметь; смочь
reach [ri:ʧ] – v достигать; дотянуться
nibble [nɪbl] – v грызть
pull out [pʊl 'aʊt] – v вытаскивать; вытягивать
friɡhtened [fraɪtnd] – adv испуганный
heaven ['hev(ǝ)n] – n небеса; рай
pretend [prɪ'tend] – v претворяться
trap [træp] – v заманивать; ловить n ловушка; западня
catch (cauɡht, cauɡht) [kæʧ] – v поймать; схватить
stall [stɔ:l] – n стойло
pot [pɒt] – n котел; котелок
oven [ʌvn] – n печь; духовка
douɡh [dǝʊ] – n тесто
bar [bɑ:] – n прут; стержень; v запирать; препятствовать
pearl [pɜ:l] – n жемчуг
Blue Beard
There