于是，就给可怜的亨塞尔煮了最好吃的，而格莱特只吃螃蟹壳。每天早上，老婆子都踅到厩舍前面喊：“亨塞尔，把你的手指头伸出来，让我摸摸你长肥了没有。”亨塞尔呢，却伸给她一根小骨头，老婆子眼睛昏花，看不清楚，以为真是亨塞尔的手指，心里好生奇怪，怎么他一点没胖起来。四个星期过去了，亨塞尔仍旧很瘦，老巫婆不耐烦了，不愿意再等。“过来，格莱特，”老婆子喝道，“跑快点，去打水！亨塞尔肥也好，瘦也好，明天反正我要宰掉他，把他煮了。”唉，可怜的小妹妹在不得不去打水时，哭得非常伤心呵！眼泪顺着她的脸颊，一个劲儿地往下掉呀，掉呀！“亲爱的上帝，快帮帮我们，”她发出呼唤，“要是当初在森林里让野兽吃了，还总算死在一起的哟！”“你省点劲儿吧，”巫婆说，“他根本不会来帮助你们。”
Early in the morning， Gretel had to go out and hang up the cauldroncauldron n.(=caldron)大锅炉 with the water， and light the fire. “We will bake first，” said the old woman， “I have already heated the ovenoven n.烤箱， 烤炉， 灶， and kneadedknead vt.揉(面等)成团， 捏制(面包、陶器等)， 按摩， 捏制 the doughdough n.生面团.” She pushed poor Gretel out to the oven， from which flames of fire were already dartingdart v.飞奔， 投掷.“Creep in，”said the witch，“and see if it 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.”“Sillysilly adj.愚蠢的， 无聊的， 失去知觉的， 无助的 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 horriblyhorribly adv.可怕地， 非常地， but Gretel ran away， and the godless witch was miserablymiserably adv.悲惨 burnt to death.
第二天清早，格莱特就被逼出来，把盛满水的大锅吊在柴堆上，把火点燃。“咱们首先烤面包，”老婆子说，“我已烧热了炉子，揉好了面。”她把可怜的格莱特推到烤炉前，熊熊的火舌已从炉口吐出来。“爬进去，”巫婆命令，“看看是不是烧得够热了，我们能不能往里放面包。”格莱特真要爬进去了，她就会关了炉门，让格莱特在里边烤熟，然后也把她吃掉。好在格莱特看出了她的心思，说：“我不知道该怎么做。怎样才爬得进去呢？”“蠢货！”老婆子骂道，“炉口够大的，你瞧，我自己也能爬进去。”说着便跑过来，把脑袋伸进了炉口。格莱特赶紧把她推进去，然后关上铁门，插紧了销子。嗷！老巫婆在炉子里嚎叫起来，声音可怕极了。格莱特赶快跑开，万恶的巫婆悲惨地烧死了。
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 embraceembrace vt.拥抱， 互相拥抱， 包含， 收买， 信奉 each other， and dance about and kiss each other. And as they had no longer any need to fear her， they went into the witchs 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 pinaforepinafore n.围裙， (小孩)围涎 full. “But now we must be off，” said Hansel，“that we may get out of the witchs forest.” When they had walked for two hours， they came to a great stretch of water.“We cannot cross，” said Hansel，“I see no footplank， 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—“Little duck， little duck， dostdost v.［古］do的第二人称单数.现在式 thou see， Hansel and Gretel are waiting for thee. Theres never a plank， or bridge in sight， take us across on thy back so white.”
格莱特闪电似地跑去开关亨塞尔的厩舍，打开厩门喊道：“亨塞尔，咱们得救啦，老巫婆已被烧死了！”门一开，亨塞尔像只笼中的小鸟飞跑出来。兄妹俩高兴得又是拥抱，又是亲吻，一个劲儿地欢蹦乱跳！现在再不用害怕了，他们又走进巫婆的房间，发现旮旮旯旯都放着一箱箱珍珠和宝石。“这可比石头子儿更好些。”亨塞尔说，边说边往口袋里猛装。“我也想带点回家去。”格莱特说，同样塞了满满一围裙。“现在咱俩该动身啦，”亨塞尔提出，“我们要从这座魔林中逃出去。”他们走了几个钟头，来到一条大河前。“我们过不去啊，”亨塞尔说，“既不见堤，也不见桥。”“是的，连只小船也没有，”格莱特回答，“瞧，那儿游来一只白色的鸭子，如果我求它，它会帮助咱们过河的。”她马上喊道：
“小鸭儿，小鸭儿，
格莱特和亨塞尔已等在这儿，
河上没有桥，没有船，
请把我们驮到河对岸！”
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 fathers house. Then they began to run， rushed into the parlor， and threw themselves round their fathers 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， whosoeverwhosoever pron.不管是谁， 无论是谁 catches it， may make himself a big fur capfur cap n.皮帽 out of it.
鸭子来到他们跟前，亨塞尔坐到它的背上，让小妹妹坐在他后面。“不，”格莱特回答，“这样对小鸭子太重了。让它一个一个驮我们过去吧。”善良的鸭子便这样做了。兄妹俩平安地到了对岸，再往前走了一会儿，开始觉得森林越来越熟悉，越来越熟悉。终于，他们远远地看见了父亲的房子，撒开腿便跑去，冲进房中，投进自己父亲的怀抱。自从把他的孩子丢在了森林里，他便没有一刻快活过，而他的老婆也死了。格莱特抖她的围裙，珍珠宝石满屋乱蹦，亨塞尔还在一把一把往外抓。所有的忧愁都已到了头，一家三口过上了快乐幸福的生活。我的童话讲完啦，可那边跑着一只耗子，谁要能逮住它，就可以用它做顶大大的皮帽子。