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'Little duck, little duck, dost thou see, Hansel and Gretel 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 seated himself on its back, and

told his sister to sit by him. 'No,' replied Gretel, '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, the forest

seemed to be more and more familiar to them, and at length they

saw from afar their father's house. Then they began to run,

rushed into the parlour, and threw themselves round their

father's neck. The man had not known one happy hour since he had

left the children in the forest; the woman, however, was dead.

Gretel emptied her pinafore until pearls and precious stones ran

about the room, and Hansel threw one handful after another out of

his pocket to add to them. Then all anxiety was at an end, and

they lived together in perfect happiness. My tale is done, there

runs a mouse; whosoever catches it, may make himself a big fur

cap out of it.