Hansel and Gretel

Hard by a great forest dwelt a poor wood-cutter with his wife and his two children. The boy was called Hansel and the girl Gretel. He had little to bite and to break, and once when great dearth fell on the land, he could no longer procure even daily bread. Now when he thought over this by night in his bed, and tossed about in his anxiety, he groaned and said to his wife: ‘What is to become of us? How are we to feed our poor children, when we no longer have anything even for ourselves?’ ‘I’ll tell you what, husband,’ answered the woman, ‘early tomorrow morning we will take the children out into the forest to where it is the thickest; there we will light a fire for them, and give each of them one more piece of bread, and then we will go to our work and leave them alone. They will not find the way home again, and we shall be rid of them.’ ‘No, wife,’ said the man, ‘I will not do that; how can I bear to leave my children alone in the forest?--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 as well plane the planks for our coffins,’ and she left him no peace until he consented. ‘But I feel very sorry for the poor children, all the same,’ said the man.

大きな森のすぐそばに、貧しい木こりが妻と二人の子と住んでいた。男の子はヘンゼル、女の子はグレーテルといった。木こりは食べるものにも事欠いていたが、あるとき国に大きな飢饉が襲うと、日々のパンさえ手に入らなくなった。さて夜、寝床でこのことを思い悩み、不安のあまり寝返りを打ちながら、彼はうめいて妻に言った。「わたしたちはどうなるのだろう。自分たちの食べるものさえないのに、どうやって哀れな子どもらを養えばよいのか」「こうしましょう、あなた」と妻は答えた。「明日の朝早く、子どもらを森のいちばん深いところへ連れていきましょう。そこで火を焚いてやって、パンをもうひと切れずつ渡して、それからわたしたちは仕事に行って子どもらを置いていくのです。あの子たちは帰り道を見つけられないし、わたしたちは厄介払いできます」「いや、おまえ」と男は言った。「それはできん。どうして子どもらを森にひとりきりで置いてこられよう。獣がすぐに来て引き裂いてしまうぞ」「ああ、ばかな人」と妻は言った。「それでは四人とも飢え死にするだけです。棺桶の板でも削っておおきなさい」そして夫が承知するまで放っておかなかった。「だがそれでも哀れな子どもらが気の毒だ」と男は言った。

The two children had also not been able to sleep for hunger, and had heard what their stepmother had said to their father. Gretel wept bitter tears, and said to Hansel: ‘Now all is over with us.’ ‘Be quiet, Gretel,’ said Hansel, ‘do not distress yourself, I will soon find a way to help us.’ And when the old folks had fallen asleep, he got up, put on his little coat, opened the door below, and crept outside. The moon shone brightly, and the white pebbles which lay in front of the house glittered like real silver pennies. Hansel stooped and stuffed the little pocket of his coat with as many as he could get in. Then he went back and said to Gretel: ‘Be comforted, dear little sister, and sleep in peace, God will not forsake us,’ and he lay down again in his bed. When day dawned, but before the sun had risen, the woman came and awoke the two children, saying: ‘Get up, you sluggards! we are going into the forest to fetch wood.’ She gave each a little piece of bread, and said: ‘There is something for your dinner, but do not eat it up before then, for you will get nothing else.’ Gretel took the bread under her apron, as Hansel had the pebbles in his pocket. Then they all set out together on the way to the forest. When they had walked a short time, Hansel stood still and peeped back at the house, and did so again and again. His father said: ‘Hansel, what are you looking at there and staying behind for? Pay attention, and do not forget how to use your legs.’ ‘Ah, father,’ said Hansel, ‘I am looking at my little white cat, which is sitting up on the roof, and wants to say goodbye to me.’ The wife said: ‘Fool, that is not your little cat, that is the morning sun which is shining on the chimneys.’ Hansel, however, had not been looking back at the cat, but had been constantly throwing one of the white pebble-stones out of his pocket on the road.

二人の子もひもじくて眠れず、継母が父に言ったことを聞いていた。グレーテルは苦い涙を流してヘンゼルに言った。「わたしたち、もうおしまいね」「静かに、グレーテル」とヘンゼルは言った。「悲しむことはない。すぐに助かる道を見つけるよ」そして年寄りたちが眠り込むと、彼は起き上がって小さな上着を着て、下の戸を開け、外へ忍び出た。月が明るく照っていて、家の前にある白い小石が本物の銀貨のようにきらめいていた。ヘンゼルはかがんで、上着の小さなかくしに入るだけ詰め込んだ。それから戻ってグレーテルに言った。「安心しておやすみ、かわいい妹。神さまはぼくらを見捨てはしない」そしてまた寝床に横になった。夜が明けても日が昇る前に、妻が来て二人の子を起こして言った。「起きなさい、怠け者たち。森へ薪を取りに行きます」妻は二人にパンをひと切れずつ渡して言った。「これが昼のぶんです。でもそれまでに食べてしまってはいけませんよ。ほかには何ももらえないのだから」グレーテルはパンを前掛けの下に入れた。ヘンゼルはかくしに小石を入れていたからである。それから一同そろって森への道を歩きだした。しばらく歩くと、ヘンゼルは立ち止まって家のほうを振り返り、それを何度も何度もくり返した。父は言った。「ヘンゼル、そこで何を見て遅れているのだ。気をつけろ、足の使い方を忘れるな」「ああ、おとうさん」とヘンゼルは言った。「白い子猫を見ているんだ。屋根の上に座って、ぼくにさよならを言おうとしているんだよ」妻は言った。「ばかだね、あれはおまえの子猫じゃない。煙突に射している朝日だよ」だがヘンゼルは猫を振り返っていたのではなく、かくしから白い小石を一つずつ道に落としつづけていたのである。

When they had reached the middle of the forest, the father said: ‘Now, children, pile up some wood, and I will light a fire that you may not be cold.’ Hansel and Gretel gathered brushwood together, as high as a little hill. The brushwood was lighted, and when the flames were burning very high, the woman said: ‘Now, children, lay yourselves down by the fire and rest, we will go into the forest and cut some wood. When we have done, we will come back and fetch you away.’

森のまんなかまで来ると、父は言った。「さあ子どもたち、薪を積みなさい。おまえたちが寒くないように火を焚いてやろう」ヘンゼルとグレーテルは小さな丘ほどの高さに柴を集めた。柴に火がつけられ、炎がたいそう高く燃えると、妻は言った。「さあ子どもたち、火のそばに横になってお休み。わたしたちは森へ行って木を伐ります。済んだら戻ってきて迎えに来ますから」

Hansel and Gretel sat by the fire, and when noon came, each ate a little piece of bread, and as they heard the strokes of the wood-axe they believed that their father was near. It was not the axe, however, but a branch which he had fastened to a withered tree which the wind was blowing backwards and forwards. And as they had been sitting such a long time, their eyes closed with fatigue, and they fell fast asleep. When at last they awoke, it was already dark night. Gretel began to cry and said: ‘How are we to get out of the forest now?’ But Hansel comforted her and said: ‘Just wait a little, until the moon has risen, and then we will soon find the way.’ And when the full moon had risen, Hansel took his little sister by the hand, and followed the pebbles which shone like newly-coined silver pieces, and showed them the way.

ヘンゼルとグレーテルは火のそばに座り、昼になるとそれぞれパンをひと切れ食べた。そして木を伐る斧の音が聞こえるので、父が近くにいるのだと思った。だがそれは斧ではなく、父が枯れ木に結びつけた枝が風で前後に揺られる音だった。そしてあまりに長く座っていたので、疲れて目が閉じてしまい、二人はぐっすり眠り込んだ。とうとう目を覚ますと、もう真っ暗な夜だった。グレーテルは泣きはじめて言った。「わたしたち、どうやって森から出たらいいの」だがヘンゼルは妹を慰めて言った。「月が昇るまで少し待って。そうすればすぐ道が見つかるよ」そして満月が昇ると、ヘンゼルは妹の手を取り、鋳造したばかりの銀貨のように光って道を示してくれる小石をたどっていった。

They walked the whole night long, and by break of day came once more to their father’s house. They knocked at the door, and when the woman opened it and saw that it was Hansel and Gretel, she said: ‘You naughty children, why have you slept so long in the forest?--we thought you were never coming back at all!’ The father, however, rejoiced, for it had cut him to the heart to leave them behind alone.

二人はひと晩じゅう歩き、夜明けにまた父の家に着いた。二人が戸を叩き、妻が開けてそれがヘンゼルとグレーテルだと分かると、妻は言った。「この悪い子たち、どうしてあんなに長く森で眠っていたのです。もう帰ってこないのかと思っていましたよ」だが父は喜んだ。子どもらをひとりきりで置いてきたことが胸にこたえていたのである。

Not long afterwards, there was once more great dearth throughout the land, and the children heard their mother saying at night to their father: ‘Everything is eaten again, we have one half loaf left, and that is the end. The children must go, we will take them farther into the wood, so that they will not find their way out again; there is no other means of saving ourselves!’ The man’s heart was heavy, and he thought: ‘It would be better for you to share the last mouthful with your children.’ The woman, however, would listen to nothing that he had to say, but scolded and reproached him. He who says A must say B, likewise, and as he had yielded the first time, he had to do so a second time also.

それからほどなく、国じゅうにまた大きな飢饉が来た。そして子どもたちは、母が夜、父にこう言うのを聞いた。「またみんな食べてしまって、半斤のパンが残るだけ。それでおしまいです。子どもらは行かねばなりません。もっと森の奥へ連れていって、帰り道を見つけられないようにしましょう。わたしたちが助かる道はほかにありません」男は胸が重くなって思った。「最後のひと口を子どもらと分け合うほうがよかろうに」だが妻は彼の言うことに何ひとつ耳を貸さず、叱りつけて責め立てた。甲と言う者は乙とも言わねばならない。そして一度譲ったからには、二度目も譲るほかなかった。

The children, however, were still awake and had heard the conversation. When the old folks were asleep, Hansel again got up, and wanted to go out and pick up pebbles as he had done before, but the woman had locked the door, and Hansel could not get out. Nevertheless he comforted his little sister, and said: ‘Do not cry, Gretel, go to sleep quietly, the good God will help us.’

だが子どもたちはまだ起きていて、その話を聞いていた。年寄りたちが眠ると、ヘンゼルはまた起き上がって、前のように外へ出て小石を拾おうとした。ところが妻が戸に錠を下ろしていて、ヘンゼルは外へ出られなかった。それでも彼は妹を慰めて言った。「泣かないで、グレーテル、静かにおやすみ。よい神さまが助けてくださる」

Early in the morning came the woman, and took the children out of their beds. Their piece of bread was given to them, but it was still smaller than the time before. On the way into the forest Hansel crumbled his in his pocket, and often stood still and threw a morsel on the ground. ‘Hansel, why do you stop and look round?’ said the father, ‘go on.’ ‘I am looking back at my little pigeon which is sitting on the roof, and wants to say goodbye to me,’ answered Hansel. ‘Fool!’ said the woman, ‘that is not your little pigeon, that is the morning sun that is shining on the chimney.’ Hansel, however little by little, threw all the crumbs on the path.

朝早く、妻が来て子どもらを寝床から出した。パンがひと切れずつ与えられたが、それは前より小さかった。森への道すがら、ヘンゼルはかくしのなかでそれを砕き、たびたび立ち止まってはかけらを地面に落とした。「ヘンゼル、なぜ立ち止まって見まわしているのだ」と父は言った。「先へ行きなさい」「屋根の上に座って、ぼくにさよならを言おうとしている小さな鳩を振り返っているんだ」とヘンゼルは答えた。「ばかだね」と妻は言った。「あれはおまえの鳩じゃない。煙突に射している朝日だよ」だがヘンゼルは少しずつ、パンくずをみな道に落としていった。

The woman led the children still deeper into the forest, where they had never in their lives been before. Then a great fire was again made, and the mother said: ‘Just sit there, you children, and when you are tired you may sleep a little; we are going into the forest to cut wood, and in the evening when we are done, we will come and fetch you away.’ When it was noon, Gretel shared her piece of bread with Hansel, who had scattered his by the way. Then they fell asleep and evening passed, but no one came to the poor children. They did not awake until it was dark night, and Hansel comforted his little sister and said: ‘Just wait, Gretel, until the moon rises, and then we shall see the crumbs of bread which I have strewn about, they will show us our way home again.’ When the moon came they set out, but they found no crumbs, for the many thousands of birds which fly about in the woods and fields had picked them all up. Hansel said to Gretel: ‘We shall soon find the way,’ but they did not find it. They walked the whole night and all the next day too from morning till evening, but they did not get out of the forest, and were very hungry, for they had nothing to eat but two or three berries, which grew on the ground. And as they were so weary that their legs would carry them no longer, they lay down beneath a tree and fell asleep.

妻は子どもらを、これまで生涯一度も来たことのないほど森の奥へ連れていった。そこでまた大きな火が焚かれ、母は言った。「そこに座っておいで、子どもたち。疲れたら少し眠ってもよい。わたしたちは森へ行って木を伐ります。夕方、済んだら迎えに来ますから」昼になると、グレーテルは自分のパンをヘンゼルと分けた。ヘンゼルは自分のぶんを道に撒いてしまっていたからである。それから二人は眠り込み、夕方が過ぎたが、哀れな子どもらのところへは誰も来なかった。二人が目を覚ましたのは暗い夜になってからだった。ヘンゼルは妹を慰めて言った。「待って、グレーテル、月が昇るまで。そうすればぼくが撒いたパンくずが見えるよ。それがまた家への道を示してくれる」月が出ると二人は歩きだしたが、パンくずは見つからなかった。森や野を飛びまわる何千もの鳥が、みなついばんでしまっていたのである。ヘンゼルはグレーテルに言った。「すぐに道は見つかるよ」だが見つからなかった。二人はひと晩じゅう、そして翌日も朝から晩まで歩いたが、森から出られず、たいそうひもじかった。地面に生えている木の実を二つ三つのほか、食べるものが何もなかったからである。そして脚がもう体を支えられないほど疲れたので、二人は木の下に横になって眠り込んだ。

It was now three mornings since they had left their father’s house. They began to walk again, but they always came deeper into the forest, and if help did not come soon, they must die of hunger and weariness. When it was mid-day, they saw a beautiful snow-white bird sitting on a bough, which sang so delightfully that they stood still and listened to it. And when its song was over, it spread its wings and flew away before them, and they followed it until they reached a little house, on the roof of which it alighted; and when they approached the little house they saw that it was built of bread and covered with cakes, but that the windows were of clear sugar. ‘We will set to work on that,’ said Hansel, ‘and have a good meal. I will eat a bit of the roof, and you Gretel, can eat some of the window, it will taste sweet.’ Hansel reached up above, and broke off a little of the roof to try how it tasted, and Gretel leant against the window and nibbled at the panes. Then a soft voice cried from the parlour:

父の家を出てから、もう三日目の朝だった。二人はまた歩きはじめたが、いつも森の奥へ入り込むばかりで、早く助けが来なければ飢えと疲れで死ぬほかなかった。昼になると、二人は雪のように白い美しい鳥が枝にとまっているのを見た。その鳥があまりに楽しげに歌うので、二人は立ち止まって聴き入った。そして歌い終わると鳥は翼をひろげ、二人の前を飛んでいき、二人はそのあとについていって、とうとう小さな家にたどり着いた。鳥はその屋根に舞い下りた。そして二人が小さな家に近づくと、それはパンで建てられ、菓子で葺かれていて、窓は透きとおった砂糖でできているのが見えた。「これに取りかかろう」とヘンゼルは言った。「そしてたっぷり食べよう。ぼくは屋根をひと切れ食べる。グレーテル、おまえは窓を食べるといい。甘い味だよ」ヘンゼルは上へ手を伸ばして屋根を少し折り取り、どんな味か試してみた。グレーテルは窓にもたれて硝子をかじった。すると居間から柔らかい声がした。

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

「かりかり、こりこり、かじる音。わたしの小さな家をかじるのは誰」

The children answered:

子どもらは答えた。

‘The wind, the wind, The heaven-born wind,’

「風よ、風よ、天の生まれの風よ」

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.

そして気にも留めずに食べつづけた。屋根の味が気に入ったヘンゼルは大きなひと切れを引きはがし、グレーテルは丸い窓硝子をまるごと押し出して座り込み、それを楽しんだ。突然、戸が開いて、松葉杖にすがった山のように年老いた女がそろそろと出てきた。ヘンゼルとグレーテルはひどく怯えて、手に持っていたものを落としてしまった。だが老婆は首を動かして言った。「おや、かわいい子どもたち、誰がおまえたちをここへ連れてきたのだい。さあお入り、わたしのところにいなさい。悪いことは何も起きないから」老婆は二人の手を取って小さな家へ導いた。そこでよい食事が出された。乳と、砂糖をかけた焼き菓子、林檎と胡桃である。そのあと美しい小さな寝床が二つ、清潔な白い麻布で整えられ、ヘンゼルとグレーテルはそこに横になって、天国にいるようだと思った。

The old woman had only pretended to be so kind; she was in reality a wicked witch, who lay in wait for children, and had only built the little house of bread in order to entice them there. When a child fell into her power, she killed it, cooked and ate it, and that was a feast day with her. Witches have red eyes, and cannot see far, but they have a keen scent like the beasts, and are aware when human beings draw near. When Hansel and Gretel came into her neighbourhood, she laughed with malice, and said mockingly: ‘I have them, they shall not escape me again!’ Early in the morning before the children were awake, she was already up, and when she saw both of them sleeping and looking so pretty, with their plump and rosy cheeks she muttered to herself: ‘That will be a dainty mouthful!’ Then she seized Hansel with her shrivelled hand, carried him into a little stable, and locked him in behind a grated door. Scream as he might, it would not help him. Then she went to Gretel, shook her till she awoke, and cried: ‘Get up, lazy thing, fetch some water, and cook something good for your brother, he is in the stable outside, and is to be made fat. When he is fat, I will eat him.’ Gretel began to weep bitterly, but it was all in vain, for she was forced to do what the wicked witch commanded.

老婆はやさしいふりをしていただけだった。実は悪い魔女で、子どもを待ち伏せしていて、子どもをおびき寄せるためだけにパンの小さな家を建てていたのである。子どもが手に落ちると、魔女はそれを殺して煮て食べた。そしてそれが魔女にとっての祝いの日だった。魔女は赤い目をしていて遠くは見えないが、獣のように鋭い嗅覚を持っていて、人が近づくと気づくのである。ヘンゼルとグレーテルが近くに来ると、魔女は悪意を込めて笑い、あざけるように言った。「捕まえた。二度と逃がすものか」朝早く、子どもらが目を覚ます前に魔女はもう起きていた。そして二人がふっくらと血色のよい頬をして、たいそうかわいらしく眠っているのを見ると、こう呟いた。「これはうまいひと口になる」それから皺だらけの手でヘンゼルをつかみ、小さな小屋へ運んで、格子の戸の後ろに閉じ込めた。彼がいくら叫んでも何の役にも立たなかった。それから魔女はグレーテルのところへ行き、目を覚ますまで揺すって叫んだ。「起きろ、怠け者、水を汲んできて、兄さんにうまいものを煮てやれ。あれは外の小屋にいて、太らせるのだ。太ったらわたしが食ってやる」グレーテルは激しく泣きはじめたが、何もかも無駄だった。悪い魔女の命じるとおりにするほかなかったのである。

And now the best food was cooked for poor Hansel, but Gretel got nothing but crab-shells. Every morning the woman crept to the little stable, and cried: ‘Hansel, stretch out your finger that I may feel if you will soon be fat.’ Hansel, however, stretched out a little bone to her, and the old woman, who had dim eyes, could not see it, and thought it was Hansel’s finger, and was astonished that there was no way of fattening him. When four weeks had gone by, and Hansel still remained thin, she was seized with impatience and would not wait any longer. ‘Now, then, Gretel,’ she cried to the girl, ‘stir yourself, and bring some water. Let Hansel be fat or lean, tomorrow I will kill him, and cook him.’ Ah, how the poor little sister did lament when she had to fetch the water, and how her tears did flow down her cheeks! ‘Dear God, do help us,’ she cried. ‘If the wild beasts in the forest had but devoured us, we should at any rate have died together.’ ‘Just keep your noise to yourself,’ said the old woman, ‘it won’t help you at all.’

こうして哀れなヘンゼルにはいちばんよい食事が作られたが、グレーテルには蟹の殻しか与えられなかった。毎朝、老婆は小さな小屋へ忍び寄って叫んだ。「ヘンゼル、指を出せ。もうじき太るかどうか触ってみる」だがヘンゼルは小さな骨を差し出した。そして目のかすんだ老婆にはそれが見えず、ヘンゼルの指だと思って、どうしても太らせられないのを不思議がった。四週間たってもヘンゼルが痩せたままなので、魔女はしびれを切らして、もう待とうとしなかった。「さあグレーテル」と魔女は娘に叫んだ。「きびきび動いて水を持ってこい。ヘンゼルが太っていようと痩せていようと、明日は殺して煮てやる」ああ、哀れな妹は水を汲まねばならぬとき、どれほど嘆いたことか。そしてどれほど涙が頬を流れ落ちたことか。「神さま、どうかお助けください」と娘は叫んだ。「森で獣に食べられていたら、せめて一緒に死ねたのに」「泣き言は自分のうちにしまっておけ」と老婆は言った。「何の役にも立ちはしない」

Early in the morning, Gretel had to go out and hang up the cauldron with the water, and light the fire. ‘We will bake first,’ said the old woman, ‘I have already heated the oven, and kneaded the dough.’ She pushed poor Gretel out to the oven, from which flames of fire were already darting. ‘Creep in,’ said the witch, ‘and see if it is properly heated, so that we can put the bread in.’ And once Gretel was inside, she intended to shut the oven and let her bake in it, and then she would eat her, too. But Gretel saw what she had in mind, and said: ‘I do not know how I am to do it; how do I get in?’ ‘Silly goose,’ said the old woman. ‘The door is big enough; just look, I can get in myself!’ and she crept up and thrust her head into the oven. Then Gretel gave her a push that drove her far into it, and shut the iron door, and fastened the bolt. Oh! then she began to howl quite horribly, but Gretel ran away and the godless witch was miserably burnt to death.

朝早く、グレーテルは外へ出て水の入った大釜を吊るし、火をつけねばならなかった。「まずパンを焼こう」と老婆は言った。「もう窯を熱くして、生地もこねてある」魔女は哀れなグレーテルを窯のところへ押しやった。窯からはもう炎が噴き出していた。「這い込め」と魔女は言った。「そしてちゃんと熱くなっているか見てこい。パンを入れられるようにな」そしてグレーテルがなかに入ったら、窯を閉めてそこで焼いて、この娘も食べるつもりだった。だがグレーテルはその魂胆を見抜いて言った。「どうしたらよいか分かりません。どうやって入るのですか」「間抜けな鵞鳥め」と老婆は言った。「口は十分大きいじゃないか。ほら、わたしだって入れる」そして這い寄って頭を窯に突っ込んだ。そこでグレーテルがひと突きすると、魔女は奥まで押し込まれた。そしてグレーテルは鉄の戸を閉めて閂を差した。おお、そこで魔女はまことにおそろしい声で吠えはじめたが、グレーテルは駆け去り、この神なき魔女はみじめに焼け死んだ。

Gretel, however, ran like lightning to Hansel, opened his little stable, and cried: ‘Hansel, we are saved! The old witch is dead!’ Then Hansel sprang like a bird from its cage when the door is opened. How they did rejoice and embrace each other, and dance about and kiss each other! And as they had no longer any need to fear her, they went into the witch’s house, and in every corner there stood chests full of pearls and jewels. ‘These are far better than pebbles!’ said Hansel, and thrust into his pockets whatever could be got in, and Gretel said: ‘I, too, will take something home with me,’ and filled her pinafore full. ‘But now we must be off,’ said Hansel, ‘that we may get out of the witch’s forest.’

グレーテルは稲妻のようにヘンゼルのところへ走り、小さな小屋を開けて叫んだ。「ヘンゼル、助かったわ。あの魔女は死んだのよ」そこでヘンゼルは、戸を開けてもらった籠のなかの鳥のように跳び出した。二人はどれほど喜んで抱き合い、踊りまわって口づけしたことか。そしてもう魔女を恐れる必要がなくなったので、二人は魔女の家に入った。そしてどの隅にも真珠と宝石でいっぱいの箱が置いてあった。「これは小石よりずっといいや」とヘンゼルは言って、かくしに入るだけ詰め込んだ。グレーテルも言った。「わたしも何か家へ持って帰る」そして前掛けをいっぱいにした。「でも、もう行かなくては」とヘンゼルは言った。「魔女の森から出られるように」

When they had walked for two hours, they came to a great stretch of water. ‘We cannot cross,’ said Hansel, ‘I see no foot-plank, and no bridge.’ ‘And there is also no ferry,’ answered Gretel, ‘but a white duck is swimming there: if I ask her, she will help us over.’ Then she cried:

二時間歩くと、二人は大きな水のひろがりに出た。「渡れないよ」とヘンゼルは言った。「踏み板も橋も見えない」「渡し船もないわね」とグレーテルは答えた。「でも白い家鴨が泳いでいる。あの子に頼めば渡してくれるでしょう」そして娘は叫んだ。

‘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.’

「家鴨さん、家鴨さん、見えますか。ヘンゼルとグレーテルが待っています。踏み板も橋も見当たりません。その白い背に乗せて渡してください」

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.

家鴨はやってきて、ヘンゼルはその背にまたがり、妹にも一緒に乗るように言った。「いいえ」とグレーテルは答えた。「それでは家鴨さんに重すぎるわ。一人ずつ渡してもらいましょう」この気立てのよい小さな家鴨はそうしてくれた。そして二人が無事に渡ってしばらく歩くと、森はますます見覚えのあるものに思えてきて、とうとう遠くに父の家が見えた。そこで二人は駆け出し、居間に跳び込んで父の首に抱きついた。男は子どもらを森に置いてきてから、幸せな時をひとときも過ごしていなかった。だが妻は死んでいた。グレーテルが前掛けを空けると真珠と宝石が部屋じゅうに転がり、ヘンゼルもかくしからひとつかみまたひとつかみと投げ出してそれに加えた。こうして心配はみな終わり、三人はこの上ない幸せのうちに一緒に暮らした。わたしの話はこれでおしまい。ほら、鼠が走っている。捕まえた人は、それで大きな毛皮の帽子を作ってよろしい。