صفحة 188 من 626

Then a soft voice cried from the parlour:

'Nibble, nibble, gnaw, Who is nibbling at my little house?'

The children answered:

'The wind, the wind, The heaven-born wind,'

and went on eating without disturbing themselves. Hansel, who

liked the taste of the roof, tore down a great piece of it, and

Gretel pushed out the whole of one round window-pane, sat down,

and enjoyed herself with it. Suddenly the door opened, and a

woman as old as the hills, who supported herself on crutches,

came creeping out. Hansel and Gretel were so terribly frightened

that they let fall what they had in their hands. The old woman,

however, nodded her head, and said: 'Oh, you dear children, who

has brought you here? do come in, and stay with me. No harm shall

happen to you.' She took them both by the hand, and led them into

her little house. Then good food was set before them, milk and

pancakes, with sugar, apples, and nuts. Afterwards two pretty

little beds were covered with clean white linen, and Hansel and

Gretel lay down in them, and thought they were in heaven.