Đọc truyện: [The Brothers Grimm] - Hansel và Gretel Phần 2

"Hansel và Gretel"  là câu chuyện kể về hai anh em bị đe dọa bởi bà phù thủy độc ác ăn thịt người ở trong rừng sâu.

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On the third morning after they had left their father’s house they set about their wandering again, but only got deeper and deeper into the wood, and now they felt that if help did not come to them soon they must perish. At midday they saw a beautiful little snow-white bird sitting on a branch, which sang so sweetly that they stopped still and listened to it. When its song was finished it flapped its wings and flew on in front of them. They followed it and came to a little house, on the roof of which it perched; and when they came quite near they saw that the cottage was made of bread and roofed with cakes, while the window was made of transparent sugar. “Now we’ll set to,” said Hansel, “and have a regular blow-out.I’ll eat a bit of the roof, and you, Gretel, can eat some of the window, which you’ll find a sweet morsel.” Hansel stretched up his hand and broke off a little bit of the roof to see what it was like, and Gretel went to the casement and began to nibble at it.
Thereupon a shrill voice called out from the room inside, “Nibble, nibble, little mouse. Who’s nibbling my house?”

The children answered, “’Tis heaven’s own child, the tempest wild,” and went on eating, without putting themselves about.

Hansel, who thoroughly appreciated the roof, tore down a big bit of it, while Gretel pushed out a whole round window pane, and sat down the better to enjoy it. Suddenly the door opened, and an ancient dame, leaning on a staff, hobbled out. Hansel and Gretel were so terrified that they let what they had in their hands fall.

The old woman shook her head and said, “Oh, ho! You dear children, who led you here? Just come in and stay with me, no ill shall befall you.” She took them both by the hand, led them into the house, and laid a most sumptuous dinner before them; milk and sugared pancakes, with apples and nuts. After they had finished, two beautiful little white beds were prepared for them, and when Hansel and Gretel lay down in them they felt as if they had gone to heaven.

The old woman had appeared to be most friendly, but she was really an old witch who had waylaid the children, and had only built the little bread house in order to lure them in. When anyone came into her power; she killed, cooked and ate him, and held a regular feast day for the occasion. Now witches have red eyes, and cannot see far, but like beasts, they have a keen sense of smell, and know when human beings pass by. When Hansel and Gretel fell into her hands she laughed maliciously, and said jeeringly, “I’ve got them now; they shan’t escape me.”

Early in the morning, before the children were awake, she rose up, and when she saw them both sleeping so peacefully, with their round rosy cheeks, she muttered to herself, “That’ll be a dainty bite.” Then she seized Hansel with her bony hand and carried him into a little stable, and barred the door on him. He might have screamed as much as he liked, for it would do him no good. Then she went to Gretel, shook her until she awoke, and cried, “Get up, you lazy bones, fetch water and cook something for your brother. When he’s fat I’ll eat him up.” Gretel began to cry bitterly, but it was of no use; she had to do what the wicked witch bade her.

So the best food was cooked for poor Hansel, but Gretel got nothing but crab shells. Every morning the old woman hobbled out to the stable and cried, “Hansel, put out your finger, that I may feel if you are getting fat.” But Hansel always stretched out a bone, and the old dame, whose eyes were dim, couldn’t see it. Thinking always it was Hansel’s finger, she wondered why he fattened so slowly. When four weeks had passed and Hansel still remained thin, she lost patience and determined to wait no longer.

“Hi, Gretel,” she called to the girl, “Be quick and get some water. Hansel may be fat or thin, I’m going to kill him tomorrow and cook him.” Oh! How the poor little sister sobbed as she carried the water, and how the tears rolled down her cheeks!

“Kind heaven help us now!” She cried. “If only the wild beasts in the wood had eaten us, then at least we should have died together.”

“Just hold your peace,” said the old hag, “it won’t help you.”

Early in the morning, Gretel had to go out and hang up the kettle full of water, and light the fire. “First we’ll bake,” said the old dame. “I’ve heated the oven already and kneaded the dough.” She pushed Gretel out to the oven, from which fiery flames were already issuing. “Creep in,” said the witch, “and see if it’s properly heated, so that we can shove in the bread.” When she had got Gretel in she meant to close the oven and let the girl bake, that she might eat her up too. But Gretel perceived her intention, and said, “I don’t know how I’m to do it; how do I get in?”

“You silly goose!” Said the hag. “The opening is big enough, see, I could get in myself,” and she crawled toward it, and poked her head into the oven. Then Gretel gave her a shove that sent her right in, shut the iron door, and drew the bolt. Gracious! How she yelled; it was quite horrible, but Gretel fled and the wretched old woman was left to perish miserably.

Gretel flew straight to Hansel, opened the little stable door and cried, “Hansel, we are free; the old witch is dead!” Then Hansel sprang like a bird out of a cage when the door is opened. How they rejoiced, fell on each other’s necks, jumped for joy, and kissed one another! As they had no longer any cause for fear, they went in the old hag’s house, and here they found, in every corner of the room, boxes with pearls and precious stones. “These are even better than pebbles,” said Hansel, and crammed his pockets full of them. Gretel said, “I too will bring something home,” and she filled her apron full.

“Now,” said Hansel, “let’s go and get well away from the witch’s wood.” When they had wandered about for some hours they came to a big lake. “We can’t get over,” said Hansel, “I see no bridge of any sort or kind.”

“Yes, and there’s no ferry boat either,” answered Gretel. “But look, there swims a white duck. If I ask her she’ll help us over,” and she called out, “Here are two children, mournful very, seeing neither bridge nor ferry; take us upon your white back, and row us over, quack, quack!”

The duck swam towards them, and Hansel got on her back and bade his little sister sit beside him. “No,” answered Gretel, “we should be too heavy a load for the duck. She shall carry us across separately.” The good bird did this, and when they were landed safely on the other side, and had gone for a while, the wood became more and more familiar to them, and at length they saw their father’s house in the distance. Then they set off to run, and bounding into the room fell on their father’s neck. The man had not passed a happy hour since he left them in the wood, and the woman had died. Gretel shook out her apron so that the pearls and precious stones rolled about the room, and Hansel threw down one handful after the other out of his pocket. Thus all their troubles were ended, and they lived happily ever afterwards.