``But now we will go away,'' said Hansel, ``that
we may get out of the witch's forest.'' When
they had walked for two hours, they came to a
great piece of water. ``We cannot get over,'' said
Hansel; ``I see no foot-plank and no bridge.''
``And no boat crosses, either,'' answered
Grethel, ``but a white duck is swimming there; if I
ask her, she will help us over.'' Then she cried,--
``Little duck, little duck, dost thou see,
Hansel and Grethel are waiting for thee?
There's never a plank or bridge in sight,
Take us across on thy back so white.''
The duck came to them, and Hansel sat on
its back, and told his sister to sit by him.
``No,'' replied Grethel, ``that will be too
heavy for the little duck; she shall take us across,
one after the other.''
The good little duck did so, and when they were
once safely across and had walked for a short time,
they knew where they were, and at last they saw
from afar their father's house.
Then they began to run, rushed in, and threw
themselves into their father's arms. The man
had not known one happy hour since he had left
the children in the forest; the woman, however,
was dead. Grethel emptied her pinafore until
pearls and precious stones rolled about the floor,
and Hansel threw one handful after another out
of his pocket to add to them.
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