"There is the bird that eats up other birds' eggs," Gretel said, poking a strawberry into Hänsel's mouth; and Hänsel sucked the berry up as if it were an egg. Then in his turn, he poked a berry into Gretel's mouth. This was very good fun, especially as yet they had had nothing to eat. They began to feed each other with berries, till before they knew it the full basket was empty.
Foolish children, who by their carelessness got themselves into all sorts of scrapes! Now what was to be done? They surely couldn't go home and tell their mother they had eaten up all the berries!
"Hänsel, you have eaten all the berries. Now this time it is no joke--this that you have done. What shall we do now?"
"Nonsense--you ate as many as I. We shall simply look for more."
"So late as this! We never can see them in the world. The sun is going down. Where can we have got to? We are surely lost."
"Well, if we are, there is nothing to be afraid of. Come, don't cry. We shall sleep here under the trees, and, when morning comes, find our way home," Hänsel replied, no longer blaming her, but trying to be very brave, notwithstanding he was nearly scared to death with the shadows which were then gathering quickly.
"Oh, oh! do you hear that noise in the bushes? I shall die of fright."
"It--it--is nothing, sister," Hänsel answered, his teeth chattering, while he peered all about him uneasily. "I'm a boy and not afraid of anything, and can take care of you wherever we are."
What's glimmering there in the darkness? That's only the birches in silver dress. But there, what's grinning so there at me? Th-that's only the stump of a willow tree.
Hänsel tried to answer heroically. "I'll give a good call," he said, going a little way toward the Ilsenstein. Then putting his hands to his mouth, he called loudly:
"You there,--you there,--you there," the echoes came--but they seemed to come from the Ilsenstein.
"Is some one there?" Gretel timidly asked.
"There--where--there--" the echoes from the Ilsenstein again replied. "I'm frightened to death," Gretel said, beginning to cry.
"Little Gretelkin," said Hänsel, "you stick close to me, and I'll let nothing hurt you;" and while they huddled together, a thick white mist slowly gathered and spread between the children and the Ilsenstein.