Hard by a great forest dwelt a poor wood-cutter with his wife and histwo children. The boy was called Hansel and the girl Gretel. He hadlittle to bite and to break, and once when great dearth fell on theland, he could no longer procure even daily bread. Now when he thoughtover this by night in his bed, and tossed about in his anxiety, hegroaned and said to his wife: «What is to become of us? How are we tofeed our poor children, when we no longer have anything even forourselves?» «I’ll tell you what, husband,» answered the woman,«early tomorrow morning we will take the children out into the forestto where it is the thickest; there we will light a fire for them, andgive each of them one more piece of bread, and then we will go to ourwork and leave them alone. They will not find the way home again, andwe shall be rid of them.» «No, wife,» said the man, «I will not dothat; how can I bear to leave my children alone in theforest?—the wild animals would soon come and tear them to pieces.» «O,you fool!» said she, «then we must all four die of hunger, you may aswell plane the planks for our coffins,» and she left him no peaceuntil he consented. «But I feel very sorry for the poor children, allthe same,» said the man.
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